Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant vandalised in anti-Israel attack
Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant in Woollahra has been vanadalised in a broader incident that saw a ute set on fire and a dozen cars graffitied with anti-Israel slurs.
Police are describing the vandalism that occurred just after midnight on Wednesday as a “political incident”.
Moran’s venue was vandalised with white graffiti reading “f--- Israel” sprayed on its windows.
The graffiti had been cleaned up on Thursday morning, and staff were preparing for regular service.
“It’s incredibly disappointing to see this amount of vandalism – there’s no place for it in our community,” Moran told The Herald.
“We are co-operating with the relevant authorities in their investigation.”
Around a dozen cars on Wellington, Ocean, Tara and Fullerton streets were vandalised with spray paint, along with multiple cars parked outside Chiswick.
Some vehicles were defaced with anti-Israel graffiti, while others were marked with the phrase “PKK is coming,” possibly referencing the Kurdish separatist group known as the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization in Australia.
The PKK, or Kurdish Worker’s Party, has a history of conflict with Turkey and has claimed responsibility for incidents such as a suicide bombing in 2010 and a roadside explosion in 2019. The vandalism occurred near the Turkish consulate on Ocean Street, an area also close to the Wolper Jewish Hospital and the Emmanuel Synagogue.
A staff member at the Turkish consulate confirmed that two police officers visited around 12:30 am on Thursday. While consulate workers were unaware of the vandalism at the time it occurred on Wednesday evening, they have since provided CCTV footage to NSW Police.
Additionally, the door of a unit complex on Ocean Street was sprayed with anti-Israel graffiti.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the vandalism“disturbing and deeply troubling to all Australians”.
“There is no place for antisemitism in Australia. Conflict overseas cannot be made a platform for prejudice at home.”
Premier Chris Minns labelled the incident a deplorable “antisemitic attack”.
“It is unacceptable, un-Australian, and it will not be tolerated,” he said.
Jonathan Jackson, 21st November 2024
