Jewish childcare center torched in latest antisemitic attack in Australia

"A Jewish childcare center was torched near a Sydney synagogue on Tuesday, causing the Australian state of New South Wales to commit more police to investigate a spate of antisemitic crimes, officials said.

The childcare center, a block from a synagogue in a suburb of Maroubra, was also spray-painted with anti-Jewish graffiti before it was set alight early Tuesday, police said. The building was extensively damaged, but police said no one was hurt.

The arson is the latest in a spate of targeted attacks in Australia’s largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023. Sydney and Melbourne are home to 85 percent of Australia’s Jewish population.

The fires and other attacks have targeted buildings and cars, and one person suffered burn injuries in the fire that was set at a Melbourne synagogue in December..."