December 24, 2025, 09:47December 24, 2025, 09:47
Australian police have arrested and charged a man following anti-Semitic posts on social media following the attack on a Jewish festival in Sydney. A few hours after the attack on December 14, in which 15 people were killed, the 39-year-old posted on his Instagram account, according to media reports, that he “100 percent supported the right of the two shooters from New South Wales to self-defense against Jews and all future Jews.”
During two house searches, the police found six rifles and around 4,000 rounds of ammunition as well as flags of Hamas and Hezbollah, which are classified as terrorist organizations in Australia. Notebooks with anti-Semitic statements and references to Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust as well as information and shopping lists for building a bomb were also seized.
The 39-year-old appeared in court on Wednesday near the city of Perth in southwest Australia. According to the police, he was charged with, among other things, illegal possession of a weapon and behavior with the intent to cause racist harassment. He will reportedly remain in custody until February 3rd.
Attack during the Jewish Festival of Lights
Two attackers – a father and his son – killed 15 people on December 14th on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach during the Jewish festival of lights, Hanukkah. The father was shot by the police and the son was taken to hospital injured. The 24-year-old has since been transferred to prison.
According to police, the two had meticulously prepared the attack for months. The Australian authorities assume that the perpetrators were influenced by the ideology of the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS). (sda/dpa)