A second man has been charged after more than 10 cars and several homes and businesses were defaced with anti-Israel slurs in an elite Sydney suburb.
Celebrity chef Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant was one of three venues that were vandalized in Woollahra during the attack at 12.35am on Thursday.
Several cars were covered in white spray paint reading “F**k Israel,” while one vehicle was set on fire leaving a trail of $70,000 worth of damage.
Damage to buildings is estimated to be between $20,000 and $30,000.
On Thursday, a 19-year-old man was arrested at a house on Queen Street in Arncliffe for his alleged role in the incident, New South Wales Police said in a statement.
He was taken to Kogarah police station and charged with 21 offences.
The teenager was refused bail and was due to appear at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.
It comes just days after a 20-year-old man was arrested at Sydney Airport in Mascot, a 20-minute drive from the scene.
A man has been charged after more than 10 cars and several buildings were defaced with anti-Israel slurs in one of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs.
He was taken to a police station and charged with 21 offenses including 14 counts of destruction or damage to property.
Among the other charges were three counts of entering the building with intent to commit an indictable offence, two counts of destroying property in a business use fire, blackened/disguised face to commit an indictable offence, and behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.
He was refused bail and appeared at Downing Center Local Court on Monday.
Chiswick is co-owned by Mr Moran and Elliot Solomon, the Jewish chief executive of the Solotel Group.
The letters ‘PKK’ were also seen on several cars and on windows in Chiswick.
PKK could refer to the Kurdistan Workers Party, which some countries, including Australia, have designated a terrorist organization.
Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory told Daily Mail Australia the government had not taken their concerns seriously.
“It is absolutely shocking to see political violence like this on the streets of Australia,” he said.
Several cars were covered in white spray paint that said “F**k Israel” while one vehicle was set on fire.
New South Wales Police have launched a search for two people following the vandalism.
‘There is no justification for attacking Jews and other Australians over a conflict on the other side of the world.
‘Labor has watched as an increasingly violent anti-Israel movement has taken over Australian streets.
‘The Jewish community has been pleading with the authorities to take this seriously.
‘Many feel the Labor Party is refusing to act because it is too focused on winning votes in western Sydney.
“When Australians are prevented from taking their children to see Myer’s Christmas window displays or told to stay home for their own safety because the Opera House steps were taken over by an anti-Semitic mob, it is clear we have a problem.
“It’s time for us decent Australians to take back our streets from this hate movement for ‘Free Palestine’.”
Dr Dvir Abramovich of the Anti-Defamation Commission said the “cowardly” attack was a “frontal attack on our values and decency” and would only “ignite the resolve” of the Jewish community.
“This hate crime is a direct result of the relentless incitement against Israel and the explosion of anti-Semitism we are witnessing across the country,” he said.
‘Words have real-world consequences, and this is proof of what happens when rhetoric turns to violence.
‘To those responsible, listen to this: your hatred has no place here. You may think you can silence us with fire and poison, but you have only ignited our resolve.
“The Jewish community has faced darkness before, and each time we have risen stronger.”