Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that Iran’s government had directed two antisemitic attacks in Australia, prompting the country to cut off diplomatic relations with Tehran. The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) concluded that the Iranian government was behind the arson attacks on a kosher food company in Sydney and an Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.
Iran has denied the allegations, but ASIO believes it was involved through a series of overseas facilitators. The move comes as antisemitic incidents have increased in Australia since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023. Australian authorities had previously suspected foreign actors were paying local criminals to carry out attacks.
The expulsion of Iranian diplomats is the first time Australia has done so since World War II. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which was designated a terrorist organization by the US in 2019, is accused of carrying out attacks abroad. The Australian government will also legislate to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.
A spokesperson for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcomed the move, calling it “outrageous” that a foreign actor was behind the crimes. The incident has sparked tensions between Australia and Iran, with Israel accusing Australian Prime Minister Albanese of being a “weak politician”. However, experts say the move is more about community cohesion than Australia-Israel relations.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/australia-iran-antisemitic-arson-attacks-diplomats-expelled