F*ck Israel is not antisemitism - scandal in Australian court

A New South Wales Supreme Court judge, Desmond Fagan, refused to impose extended supervision on 22-year-old Mohammed Farhat, convicted of arson and vandalism in Sydney. Farhat received 20 months in prison and will be released in October. Damage exceeded 100,000 Australian dollars, with cars bearing the inscriptions "F*ck Israel" and "PKK coming". The judge criticized the IHRA definition of antisemitism, calling the inscriptions political slogans rather than religious hatred, and found that prosecutors failed to prove antisemitic intent. The decision sparked public reaction amid rising antisemitism in Australia.

A New South Wales Supreme Court judge, Desmond Fagan, refused to grant the prosecution's request for extended supervision of 22-year-old Mohammed Farhat, convicted of a series of arson attacks and acts of vandalism in eastern Sydney in late 2024. Farhat received 20 months in prison and is due for release in October. In 41 minutes, vandals caused damage exceeding 100,000 Australian dollars, leaving inscriptions "F*ck Israel" and "PKK coming" on ten cars, referencing the Kurdistan Workers' Party, designated a terrorist organization in Australia. The prosecution insisted on supervision, arguing that the alleged antisemitic motive indicated a risk of preparing a serious terrorist attack. Fagan disagreed, calling the inscriptions political slogans rather than expressions of religious hatred. He criticized the IHRA definition of antisemitism as overly detailed and imprecise, as well as the approach that automatically equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. The judge noted that the prosecution failed to prove antisemitic intent and accepted the defense's version that other people had drawn Farhat into the action. The decision sparked notable public reaction in Australia, where a rise in antisemitism has been recorded, including the killing of Jews during a terrorist attack in Sydney during Hanukkah in 2025.