Airport arrest for man over anti-Israel graffiti attack
A police manhunt has ended in an arrest after a series of cars were defaced and torched during a vandalism spree involving anti-Israel slogans.
Man arrested Photo: NSW PoliceA man will remain in custody after being accused of torching a car and vandalising several others with anti-Israel slogans.
Mohammed Farhat, 20, was arrested early on Monday at Sydney Airport and charged over the alleged vandalism spree in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Thursday.
Police were called to Wellington Street, Woollahra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, just before 1am on Thursday after reports of a vehicle on fire.
After the blaze was extinguished, officers discovered another nine cars parked along multiple surrounding streets had been defaced with graffiti.
Painted slogans included “f*** Israel” and “PKK coming”.
PKK is an abbreviation for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, considered a terrorist group by the Turkish and Australian governments.
The vandalised vehicles were parked in streets surrounding the Turkish Consulate General.
Police have spent days hunting down two “masked individuals” who were captured on CCTV running from the scene.
A 20-year-old man was arrested early on Monday at Sydney Airport and taken to Mascot police station.
Farhat was charged with 21 offences, including 14 counts of destroying or damaging property.
He was refused bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court later in the day.
Detective acting Superintendent Adam Solah said the damage bill could be more than $100,000.
NSW Premier Chris Minns reiterated his contempt for the vandalism on Monday.
“Anyone who attempts to split our community into two or to vilify or attack or intimidate a member of our community, particularly our Jewish community, will be met with the full force of the law,” he said.
The incident has attracted criticism from across the political spectrum and from Jewish community leaders.
Locals were seen cleaning their cars with acetone-free nail-polish remover on Thursday morning.
The president of The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies David Ossip, commented: “Reports that an arrest has been made following the horrific antisemitic vandalism and arson
in Woollahra last week will give local families some relief after they were senselessly and maliciously targeted.
We thank NSW Police for their swift investigative work and note that their inquiries are still continuing.
We look forward to the full force of the law being applied to anyone who is found guilty of these crimes.”
Locals were seen cleaning their cars with acetone-free nail-polish remover on Thursday morning.
The war followed Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, which left 1200 people dead and 250 more taken hostage.
