Caravan bomb discovery linked to antisemitic plot

Source: Seven Network
A dumped caravan hiding enough explosives to create a 40-metre blast zone and cause mass casualties was believed intended for an antisemitic attack, NSW Premier Chris Minns has revealed.
Inside the caravan, which was found on a semi-rural road north-west of Sydney, was a note of the addresses of Jewish people and institutions.
Minns revealed the details late Wednesday (AEDT) and labelled the suspected antisemitic plot as terrorism.
“This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event,” he said.
“There’s only one way of calling it out, and that is terrorism.
“This would strike terror into the community, particularly the Jewish community, and it must be met with the full resources of the government, and I want to assure the people of NSW that is exactly what’s happening.”
On Thursday morning, there was further distress for the Jewish community when antisemitic graffiti was discovered on a school in Maroubra.
“Grotesque” slurs were sprayed on walls at Mount Sinai College and a nearby property, according to media reports.
Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip told The Daily Telegraph it was “sickening” that school children would have to walk past the “repellent hate speech” on their way into school.

Graffiti on a property near Mount Sinai College in Maroubra, Sydney, on Thursday morning.
The scale of the alleged bomb plot has renewed alarm in the Jewish community, which has been targeted in a spate of antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne in recent months.
Cars have been set alight, a synagogue burnt down and antisemitic slurs painted on buildings and cars.
The caravan was abandoned for 12 days at Dural before it was discovered by a resident on January 19 and reported to authorities.
The explosive find sparked a massive multi-agency probe with more than 100 counter-terrorism investigators.
Minns defended not releasing details of the inquiry for 10 days, saying it was so criminals didn’t know what police were discovering in their investigations.
In comments carried by the Seven Network and other media, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the discovery was an “escalation” of the recent attacks targeting Jews.
He said arrests had been made “around the periphery”, with some connected to the other alleged antisemitic attacks.
However, those allegedly involved with the caravan had not been caught, he said.
“We have no information that there are further explosives in our community in relation to conducting antisemitic attacks anywhere — we believe that we have contained appropriately this current threat,” Hudson said.
Julian Leeser, the Liberal MP for the Berowra electorate where the bombs were found, said it was “deeply disturbing”.
Leeser, who is Jewish, told the ABC the hatred towards Jewish Australians appeared to be “escalating”.
“This is another sad reminder of what Jewish Australians have endured over recent times,” he said.
“But equally it stands as a stark contrast to the goodness, decency and stoicism of Jewish Australians.”

Detectives at a property in Dural following the bomb discovery. Photo: ABC screenshot
Israel’s ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said he was deeply alarmed by the news, saying he had been assured that everything possible was being done to protect the community.
Local Jewish groups have expressed alarm over the foiled act.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said his group had been assured there was no ongoing threat to the Jewish or wider community.
The Zionist Federation of Australia said the planned attack was a manifestation of intolerance towards Jews and was the most severe threat to the Jewish community in Australia yet.
-with AAP