Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with premiers and Federal Police on rising tide of anti-Semitism

Anthony Albanese has held talks with premiers and Federal police on how to combat rising anti-Semitism in Australia as attacks on synagogues escalate.

The meeting comes after the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed in a terrorist attack in December and a Sydney synagogue was spray painted with swastikas on Sunday.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said those behind the latter attack — who also tried to set it on fire — were “bastards” who were “determined to rip our community in two”.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister met with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, acting NSW Premier Penny Sharpe and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw.

“The rise of antisemitism is abhorrent and there is no place for the kind of hate speech and attacks we have seen recently in our country,” a statement from Mr Albanese and the two State leaders said.

The AFP operation Avalite has been set up to respond to threats to the Jewish community, with the Federal Government also committing funding for enhanced security following the October 7 terrorist attack.

Lawyer and business executive Jillian Segal has also been appointed as Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.

But, the Prime Minister has come under heavy fire from the Coalition, with Peter Dutton alleging a “vacuum of political leadership” from the Albanese Government had contributed to a rise in anti-Semitism.

Mr Albanese was heavily criticised for playing tennis in Cottesloe the day after the Melbourne firebombing, during a three-day visit to Perth.

Earlier in the day he had visited a Perth synagogue.

The Prime Minister visited Adass Israel synagogue four days after it was firebombed, where he was heckled by some Jewish community members, but welcomed by others.