Benjamin Netanyahu demands Anthony Albanese take stronger action against ‘vile' antisemitic attacks
In the latest act of religious hatred, the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation was targeted about 8pm Friday while about 20 people, including children, were inside observing Shabbat.
The front door of the synagogue was set alight, forcing the worshippers to flee to safety.
It came about the same time as protesters stormed a restaurant in Melbourne's CBD chanting 'death to the IDF', terrifying diners as they threw food, smashed chairs against windows, and overturned tables.
In a statement, Mr Netanyahu strongly condemned both attacks.
'I view with utmost gravity the antisemitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne, which included attempted arson of a synagogue in the city and a violent assault against an Israeli restaurant by pro-Palestinian rioters,' he said.
'The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of 'death to the IDF' and an attempt to attack a place of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted.
'The State of Israel will continue to stand alongside the Australian Jewish community, and we demand that the Australian government take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future.'
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said there have been 'too many antisemitic attacks in Australia' and also urged the Federal Government to act.
'I strongly condemn last night's vile antisemitic attacks in Melbourne, including the arson attack on the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation synagogue and the targeted violence at the Israeli restaurant Miznon,' he said.
'Israel stands firmly with the Jewish community in Australia. There have been too many antisemitic attacks in Australia. The Australian government must do more to fight this poisonous disease.'
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the attempted arson as a 'chilling,' warning: 'This must be the last.'
Angelo Loras, from Toongabbie in NSW, was arrested in Melbourne's CBD on Saturday night over the synagogue attack.
The 34-year-old has been charged multiple offences including reckless conduct endangering life, criminal damage by fire and possession of a controlled weapon.
He faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Sunday and was remanded in custody until July 22.
Police are now investigating the accused man's intent and ideology to determine if the incident was an act of terrorism.
It is the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks across the country since the October 7 terror attack. In December, the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed, which police labelled an act of terrorism.
The following month, a Sydney synagogue and a childcare centre was vandalised with antisemitic graffiti, with several cars vandalised with anti-Israel graffiti and torched.
At a press conference on Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke condemned the latest synagogue targeting as 'an attack on Australia' and warned people not to 'import hatred'.
'There's been some reporting that no one was physically injured, that doesn't mean no one was harmed,' he said. 'The community here was harmed, the Jewish community in Australia was harmed and we were harmed as a nation.
'There were three attacks that night and none of them belonged in Australia. Arson attacks, the chanting calls for death, other attacks and graffiti, none of it belonged in Australia and they were attacks on Australia.'
Mr Burke added: 'Hatred has no place in Australia. Antisemitism has no place in Australia.'
'The dream of this country is no matter where you come from in the world, no matter what your heritage is, we stand together, we welcome each other, and we do not import hatreds and violence from overseas to life in Australia.'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement on Saturday also condemning the attack.
'Last night's arson attack on the synagogue in East Melbourne is cowardly, is an act of violence and antisemitism, and has no place in Australian society,' he said.
Rabbi Dovid Gutnick said the outcome could have been far worse.
'We were lucky the response was quick,' he said.
'They could have opened the door to a person who clearly had bigger plans.
'There were children playing … it could have been a lot worse because those doors are wooden and there's carpet. You wonder if he had more stuff in that bag to do more harm.'
Mark Dreyfus, the nation's most senior Jewish politician, met with members of the synagogue on Sunday and urged the public to unite and 'make sure that this never happens again'.
'This attack on this old synagogue here in the centre of Melbourne is an attack not just on the Jewish community - It's an attack on the entire Australian community,' he said.
'Let's make sure that this never happens again. And that hatred of this kind is banished from our country.'
Multicultural Affairs Minister Dr Anne Aly joined Burke in condemning the attack saying antisemitic acts violated the fundamental right to safety.
'All Australians have a right to safety. Acts of antisemitism violate that right and should face the full force of the law,' she said.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described the attack as 'disgraceful' and 'abhorrent,' especially as it occurred during Shabbat.
'That this happened on Shabbat makes it all the more abhorrent,' she said in a statement.
'Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism.
'To our Jewish community: I stand with you in the fight against hate and fear, and the Victorian people stand with you, too.'
Shadow Minister for Women Melissa McIntosh on Sunday said that several Liberals — including Leader Sussan Ley — had wrote to the PM three weeks ago, urging him to strengthen the response to antisemitic attacks.
'There's been a letter that's been sitting there for three weeks... imploring the government to protect the Jewish community of more security in light of what's been going on in the Middle East,' she told ABC.
'They have not received a response from the Prime Minister.
'What about National Cabinet? Why isn't he convening National Cabinet and bringing the states together with urgency to address this issue?
'There's a number of things that the Government could be doing yet we're sitting here today discussing another horrible attack where there are kids inside the synagogue.'
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25 minutes ago
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Australia has been invaded. And the invader is sure to come back with greater force
Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes? Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes? Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes? Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes?
The Advertiser
25 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Israeli air strikes on Yemen ports target Houthi rebels
Israel's military has launched airstrikes targeting ports and facilities held by Yemen's Houthi rebels, with the rebels responding with missile fire targeting Israel. The attacks early on Monday came after an attack on Sunday targeting a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea that caught fire and took on water, later forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. Suspicion for the attack on the Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas immediately fell on the Houthis, particularly as a security firm said it appeared bomb-carrying drone boats hit the ship after it was targeted by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. The rebels' media reported on the attack but did not claim it. It can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge an assault. A renewed Houthi campaign against shipping could again draw in US and Western forces to the area, particularly after President Donald Trump targeted the rebels in a major airstrike campaign. The ship attack comes at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following American airstrikes targeting its most-sensitive atomic sites amid an Israeli war against the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also was travelling to Washington to meet with Trump. The Israeli military said it struck Houthi-held ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as the Ras Kanatib power plant. "These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies," the Israeli military said. The Israeli military also said it struck the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle-carrying vessel that the Houthis seized back in November 2023 when they began their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. "Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities," the Israeli military said. The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader was affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board. The ship had been operated by a Japanese firm NYK Line. The Houthis acknowledged the strikes, but offered no damage assessment from the attack. Their military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed its air defence forces "effectively confronted" the Israelis without offering evidence. The Houthis then responded with an apparent missile attack on Israel. The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the missile, but it appeared to make impact, though there were no immediate reports of injuries from the attack. The attack on the Magic Seas, a bulk carrier heading north to Egypt's Suez Canal, happened some 100km southwest of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the Houthis. Private maritime security firm Ambrey issued an alert saying that a merchant ship had been "attacked by eight skiffs while transiting northbound in the Red Sea". Ambrey later said the ship also had been attacked by bomb-carrying drone boats, which could mark a major escalation. It said two drone boats struck the ship, while another two had been destroyed by the armed guards on board. The Magic Seas met "the established Houthi target profile", the firm said without elaborating. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $US1 trillion ($A1.5 trillion) of goods move through it annually. Shipping through the Red Sea, while still lower than normal, has increased in recent weeks. The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the US launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. That ended weeks later and the Houthis haven't attacked a vessel, though they have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel. On Sunday, the group claimed launching an earlier missile at Israel which the Israeli military said it intercepted. Israel's military has launched airstrikes targeting ports and facilities held by Yemen's Houthi rebels, with the rebels responding with missile fire targeting Israel. The attacks early on Monday came after an attack on Sunday targeting a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea that caught fire and took on water, later forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. Suspicion for the attack on the Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas immediately fell on the Houthis, particularly as a security firm said it appeared bomb-carrying drone boats hit the ship after it was targeted by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. The rebels' media reported on the attack but did not claim it. It can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge an assault. A renewed Houthi campaign against shipping could again draw in US and Western forces to the area, particularly after President Donald Trump targeted the rebels in a major airstrike campaign. The ship attack comes at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following American airstrikes targeting its most-sensitive atomic sites amid an Israeli war against the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also was travelling to Washington to meet with Trump. The Israeli military said it struck Houthi-held ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as the Ras Kanatib power plant. "These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies," the Israeli military said. The Israeli military also said it struck the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle-carrying vessel that the Houthis seized back in November 2023 when they began their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. "Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities," the Israeli military said. The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader was affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board. The ship had been operated by a Japanese firm NYK Line. The Houthis acknowledged the strikes, but offered no damage assessment from the attack. Their military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed its air defence forces "effectively confronted" the Israelis without offering evidence. The Houthis then responded with an apparent missile attack on Israel. The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the missile, but it appeared to make impact, though there were no immediate reports of injuries from the attack. The attack on the Magic Seas, a bulk carrier heading north to Egypt's Suez Canal, happened some 100km southwest of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the Houthis. Private maritime security firm Ambrey issued an alert saying that a merchant ship had been "attacked by eight skiffs while transiting northbound in the Red Sea". Ambrey later said the ship also had been attacked by bomb-carrying drone boats, which could mark a major escalation. It said two drone boats struck the ship, while another two had been destroyed by the armed guards on board. The Magic Seas met "the established Houthi target profile", the firm said without elaborating. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $US1 trillion ($A1.5 trillion) of goods move through it annually. Shipping through the Red Sea, while still lower than normal, has increased in recent weeks. The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the US launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. That ended weeks later and the Houthis haven't attacked a vessel, though they have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel. On Sunday, the group claimed launching an earlier missile at Israel which the Israeli military said it intercepted. Israel's military has launched airstrikes targeting ports and facilities held by Yemen's Houthi rebels, with the rebels responding with missile fire targeting Israel. The attacks early on Monday came after an attack on Sunday targeting a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea that caught fire and took on water, later forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. Suspicion for the attack on the Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas immediately fell on the Houthis, particularly as a security firm said it appeared bomb-carrying drone boats hit the ship after it was targeted by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. The rebels' media reported on the attack but did not claim it. It can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge an assault. A renewed Houthi campaign against shipping could again draw in US and Western forces to the area, particularly after President Donald Trump targeted the rebels in a major airstrike campaign. The ship attack comes at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following American airstrikes targeting its most-sensitive atomic sites amid an Israeli war against the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also was travelling to Washington to meet with Trump. The Israeli military said it struck Houthi-held ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as the Ras Kanatib power plant. "These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies," the Israeli military said. The Israeli military also said it struck the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle-carrying vessel that the Houthis seized back in November 2023 when they began their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. "Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities," the Israeli military said. The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader was affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board. The ship had been operated by a Japanese firm NYK Line. The Houthis acknowledged the strikes, but offered no damage assessment from the attack. Their military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed its air defence forces "effectively confronted" the Israelis without offering evidence. The Houthis then responded with an apparent missile attack on Israel. The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the missile, but it appeared to make impact, though there were no immediate reports of injuries from the attack. The attack on the Magic Seas, a bulk carrier heading north to Egypt's Suez Canal, happened some 100km southwest of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the Houthis. Private maritime security firm Ambrey issued an alert saying that a merchant ship had been "attacked by eight skiffs while transiting northbound in the Red Sea". Ambrey later said the ship also had been attacked by bomb-carrying drone boats, which could mark a major escalation. It said two drone boats struck the ship, while another two had been destroyed by the armed guards on board. The Magic Seas met "the established Houthi target profile", the firm said without elaborating. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $US1 trillion ($A1.5 trillion) of goods move through it annually. Shipping through the Red Sea, while still lower than normal, has increased in recent weeks. The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the US launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. That ended weeks later and the Houthis haven't attacked a vessel, though they have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel. On Sunday, the group claimed launching an earlier missile at Israel which the Israeli military said it intercepted. Israel's military has launched airstrikes targeting ports and facilities held by Yemen's Houthi rebels, with the rebels responding with missile fire targeting Israel. The attacks early on Monday came after an attack on Sunday targeting a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea that caught fire and took on water, later forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. Suspicion for the attack on the Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas immediately fell on the Houthis, particularly as a security firm said it appeared bomb-carrying drone boats hit the ship after it was targeted by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. The rebels' media reported on the attack but did not claim it. It can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge an assault. A renewed Houthi campaign against shipping could again draw in US and Western forces to the area, particularly after President Donald Trump targeted the rebels in a major airstrike campaign. The ship attack comes at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following American airstrikes targeting its most-sensitive atomic sites amid an Israeli war against the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also was travelling to Washington to meet with Trump. The Israeli military said it struck Houthi-held ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as the Ras Kanatib power plant. "These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies," the Israeli military said. The Israeli military also said it struck the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle-carrying vessel that the Houthis seized back in November 2023 when they began their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. "Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities," the Israeli military said. The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader was affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board. The ship had been operated by a Japanese firm NYK Line. The Houthis acknowledged the strikes, but offered no damage assessment from the attack. Their military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed its air defence forces "effectively confronted" the Israelis without offering evidence. The Houthis then responded with an apparent missile attack on Israel. The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the missile, but it appeared to make impact, though there were no immediate reports of injuries from the attack. The attack on the Magic Seas, a bulk carrier heading north to Egypt's Suez Canal, happened some 100km southwest of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the Houthis. Private maritime security firm Ambrey issued an alert saying that a merchant ship had been "attacked by eight skiffs while transiting northbound in the Red Sea". Ambrey later said the ship also had been attacked by bomb-carrying drone boats, which could mark a major escalation. It said two drone boats struck the ship, while another two had been destroyed by the armed guards on board. The Magic Seas met "the established Houthi target profile", the firm said without elaborating. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $US1 trillion ($A1.5 trillion) of goods move through it annually. Shipping through the Red Sea, while still lower than normal, has increased in recent weeks. The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the US launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. That ended weeks later and the Houthis haven't attacked a vessel, though they have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel. On Sunday, the group claimed launching an earlier missile at Israel which the Israeli military said it intercepted.
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Fresh vow to stop anti-Semitism with new taskforce
A new anti-hate taskforce charged with tackling the "bigger picture" of anti-Semitism will meet within days, as a premier vows to stamp out hatred towards Jews. At least four violent incidents in Melbourne are being treated as anti-Semitic attacks, including the firebombing of a synagogue on Friday night. Angelo Loras, a 34-year-old man from Sydney's west, faced court on Sunday, accused of setting the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation's front doors alight while 20 people were inside. The congregation had been singing traditional songs as they sat down for dinner after a regular service, when all of a sudden, chaos broke out. "My 13-year-old son comes running in and says, 'something's not right, the doorbell has been ringing'," Rabbi Dovid Gutnick told ABC radio. That's when they saw smoke and flames coming from under the door. Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by masked pro-Palestinian protesters shortly afterwards, with a window smashed, tables flipped and chairs thrown as the group chanted "death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". Hours later, a group spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" and set them alight outside a Greensborough business in the city's northeast. CCTV footage released by police shows figures in black hooded jumpers lighting the fires, with detectives looking for five people who were last seen fleeing on e-bikes. A fourth incident involved stencils used to spray paint offensive images on pillars and walls near a holocaust museum in Elsternwick. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan visited the synagogue on Monday, after revealing details of the anti-hate taskforce intended to "look at the bigger picture across our city and state". "Just as the fire came to the front door here of this shule, that it was stopped, so too must we put a stop to the hate, put a stop to anti-Semitism," she told reporters outside. The incidents have not been declared terrorist attacks, but Victoria Police is working with counter terrorism officers to see if there are any links between the events. A 28-year-old from Footscray was the only arrest made for allegedly hindering police at Miznon, but has since been released. Police are still working on identifying other protesters involved. A group called Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance took responsibility for the incident. "While politicians in so-called Australia clutch their pearls over one meal that was interrupted, we ask people to refocus their attention on Israel's genocidal reign of terror over the Palestinians," a statement on the group's Instagram read. Rabbi Gutnick said his community was reeling from the incident, and that people can carry empathy for one group without descending into hate. "There is a boundary, and people have gone beyond the pale in the things that they've said and now in the things that are being done," he said. "Words don't end at words. They lead to actions." Victoria Police, the state government and Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece will this week examine police powers to stamp out extreme and violent protests. "We back our police, we're giving them more powers," the premier said. Ms Allan promised bans on protests outside places of worship and demonstrators wearing face coverings after a blaze destroyed two buildings at the Adass Israel Synagogue in the city's south in December. However, the legislation is yet to be introduced to state parliament. The attacks drew an international response, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding action against the "rioters". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said those responsible for the "shocking acts" must face the full force of the law, as the US Embassy in Australia praised the "swift response". Victoria's opposition leader Brad Battin said the state needed to crack down on hate speech at protests by reinstating "move on" laws. Federal opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for an urgent national cabinet meeting to deal with the issue. A new anti-hate taskforce charged with tackling the "bigger picture" of anti-Semitism will meet within days, as a premier vows to stamp out hatred towards Jews. At least four violent incidents in Melbourne are being treated as anti-Semitic attacks, including the firebombing of a synagogue on Friday night. Angelo Loras, a 34-year-old man from Sydney's west, faced court on Sunday, accused of setting the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation's front doors alight while 20 people were inside. The congregation had been singing traditional songs as they sat down for dinner after a regular service, when all of a sudden, chaos broke out. "My 13-year-old son comes running in and says, 'something's not right, the doorbell has been ringing'," Rabbi Dovid Gutnick told ABC radio. That's when they saw smoke and flames coming from under the door. Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by masked pro-Palestinian protesters shortly afterwards, with a window smashed, tables flipped and chairs thrown as the group chanted "death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". Hours later, a group spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" and set them alight outside a Greensborough business in the city's northeast. CCTV footage released by police shows figures in black hooded jumpers lighting the fires, with detectives looking for five people who were last seen fleeing on e-bikes. A fourth incident involved stencils used to spray paint offensive images on pillars and walls near a holocaust museum in Elsternwick. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan visited the synagogue on Monday, after revealing details of the anti-hate taskforce intended to "look at the bigger picture across our city and state". "Just as the fire came to the front door here of this shule, that it was stopped, so too must we put a stop to the hate, put a stop to anti-Semitism," she told reporters outside. The incidents have not been declared terrorist attacks, but Victoria Police is working with counter terrorism officers to see if there are any links between the events. A 28-year-old from Footscray was the only arrest made for allegedly hindering police at Miznon, but has since been released. Police are still working on identifying other protesters involved. A group called Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance took responsibility for the incident. "While politicians in so-called Australia clutch their pearls over one meal that was interrupted, we ask people to refocus their attention on Israel's genocidal reign of terror over the Palestinians," a statement on the group's Instagram read. Rabbi Gutnick said his community was reeling from the incident, and that people can carry empathy for one group without descending into hate. "There is a boundary, and people have gone beyond the pale in the things that they've said and now in the things that are being done," he said. "Words don't end at words. They lead to actions." Victoria Police, the state government and Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece will this week examine police powers to stamp out extreme and violent protests. "We back our police, we're giving them more powers," the premier said. Ms Allan promised bans on protests outside places of worship and demonstrators wearing face coverings after a blaze destroyed two buildings at the Adass Israel Synagogue in the city's south in December. However, the legislation is yet to be introduced to state parliament. The attacks drew an international response, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding action against the "rioters". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said those responsible for the "shocking acts" must face the full force of the law, as the US Embassy in Australia praised the "swift response". Victoria's opposition leader Brad Battin said the state needed to crack down on hate speech at protests by reinstating "move on" laws. Federal opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for an urgent national cabinet meeting to deal with the issue. A new anti-hate taskforce charged with tackling the "bigger picture" of anti-Semitism will meet within days, as a premier vows to stamp out hatred towards Jews. At least four violent incidents in Melbourne are being treated as anti-Semitic attacks, including the firebombing of a synagogue on Friday night. Angelo Loras, a 34-year-old man from Sydney's west, faced court on Sunday, accused of setting the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation's front doors alight while 20 people were inside. The congregation had been singing traditional songs as they sat down for dinner after a regular service, when all of a sudden, chaos broke out. "My 13-year-old son comes running in and says, 'something's not right, the doorbell has been ringing'," Rabbi Dovid Gutnick told ABC radio. That's when they saw smoke and flames coming from under the door. Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by masked pro-Palestinian protesters shortly afterwards, with a window smashed, tables flipped and chairs thrown as the group chanted "death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". Hours later, a group spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" and set them alight outside a Greensborough business in the city's northeast. CCTV footage released by police shows figures in black hooded jumpers lighting the fires, with detectives looking for five people who were last seen fleeing on e-bikes. A fourth incident involved stencils used to spray paint offensive images on pillars and walls near a holocaust museum in Elsternwick. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan visited the synagogue on Monday, after revealing details of the anti-hate taskforce intended to "look at the bigger picture across our city and state". "Just as the fire came to the front door here of this shule, that it was stopped, so too must we put a stop to the hate, put a stop to anti-Semitism," she told reporters outside. The incidents have not been declared terrorist attacks, but Victoria Police is working with counter terrorism officers to see if there are any links between the events. A 28-year-old from Footscray was the only arrest made for allegedly hindering police at Miznon, but has since been released. Police are still working on identifying other protesters involved. A group called Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance took responsibility for the incident. "While politicians in so-called Australia clutch their pearls over one meal that was interrupted, we ask people to refocus their attention on Israel's genocidal reign of terror over the Palestinians," a statement on the group's Instagram read. Rabbi Gutnick said his community was reeling from the incident, and that people can carry empathy for one group without descending into hate. "There is a boundary, and people have gone beyond the pale in the things that they've said and now in the things that are being done," he said. "Words don't end at words. They lead to actions." Victoria Police, the state government and Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece will this week examine police powers to stamp out extreme and violent protests. "We back our police, we're giving them more powers," the premier said. Ms Allan promised bans on protests outside places of worship and demonstrators wearing face coverings after a blaze destroyed two buildings at the Adass Israel Synagogue in the city's south in December. However, the legislation is yet to be introduced to state parliament. The attacks drew an international response, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding action against the "rioters". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said those responsible for the "shocking acts" must face the full force of the law, as the US Embassy in Australia praised the "swift response". Victoria's opposition leader Brad Battin said the state needed to crack down on hate speech at protests by reinstating "move on" laws. Federal opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for an urgent national cabinet meeting to deal with the issue. A new anti-hate taskforce charged with tackling the "bigger picture" of anti-Semitism will meet within days, as a premier vows to stamp out hatred towards Jews. At least four violent incidents in Melbourne are being treated as anti-Semitic attacks, including the firebombing of a synagogue on Friday night. Angelo Loras, a 34-year-old man from Sydney's west, faced court on Sunday, accused of setting the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation's front doors alight while 20 people were inside. The congregation had been singing traditional songs as they sat down for dinner after a regular service, when all of a sudden, chaos broke out. "My 13-year-old son comes running in and says, 'something's not right, the doorbell has been ringing'," Rabbi Dovid Gutnick told ABC radio. That's when they saw smoke and flames coming from under the door. Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by masked pro-Palestinian protesters shortly afterwards, with a window smashed, tables flipped and chairs thrown as the group chanted "death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". Hours later, a group spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" and set them alight outside a Greensborough business in the city's northeast. CCTV footage released by police shows figures in black hooded jumpers lighting the fires, with detectives looking for five people who were last seen fleeing on e-bikes. A fourth incident involved stencils used to spray paint offensive images on pillars and walls near a holocaust museum in Elsternwick. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan visited the synagogue on Monday, after revealing details of the anti-hate taskforce intended to "look at the bigger picture across our city and state". "Just as the fire came to the front door here of this shule, that it was stopped, so too must we put a stop to the hate, put a stop to anti-Semitism," she told reporters outside. The incidents have not been declared terrorist attacks, but Victoria Police is working with counter terrorism officers to see if there are any links between the events. A 28-year-old from Footscray was the only arrest made for allegedly hindering police at Miznon, but has since been released. Police are still working on identifying other protesters involved. A group called Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance took responsibility for the incident. "While politicians in so-called Australia clutch their pearls over one meal that was interrupted, we ask people to refocus their attention on Israel's genocidal reign of terror over the Palestinians," a statement on the group's Instagram read. Rabbi Gutnick said his community was reeling from the incident, and that people can carry empathy for one group without descending into hate. "There is a boundary, and people have gone beyond the pale in the things that they've said and now in the things that are being done," he said. "Words don't end at words. They lead to actions." Victoria Police, the state government and Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece will this week examine police powers to stamp out extreme and violent protests. "We back our police, we're giving them more powers," the premier said. Ms Allan promised bans on protests outside places of worship and demonstrators wearing face coverings after a blaze destroyed two buildings at the Adass Israel Synagogue in the city's south in December. However, the legislation is yet to be introduced to state parliament. The attacks drew an international response, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding action against the "rioters". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said those responsible for the "shocking acts" must face the full force of the law, as the US Embassy in Australia praised the "swift response". Victoria's opposition leader Brad Battin said the state needed to crack down on hate speech at protests by reinstating "move on" laws. Federal opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for an urgent national cabinet meeting to deal with the issue.
