Authorities in Sydney, Australia, are investigating a series of anti-Semitic vandalism incidents that targeted synagogues and private properties, as reported by ABC News.
On Saturday around 7:30 a.m. (local time), police received reports of offensive graffiti on a synagogue located on Georgina Street, Newtown. Several red swastikas were spray-painted along the synagogue’s front fence.
New South Wales (NSW) Police released surveillance images showing two individuals, one on a bicycle, wearing black hoodies, dark clothing, and light-colored shoes, near the vandalized building.
On Friday, the Allawah synagogue in southern Sydney was also defaced, with swastikas spray-painted onto its exterior walls. Police described the act as “offensive graffiti” and have launched an investigation into the incident.
On Saturday, officers responded to reports of an anti-Semitic slur spray-painted on a house on Henry Street, Queens Park. The phrase “F*** Jews” was scrawled on the property’s front wall. This marks the second such incident on the same street within a week.
Earlier on Monday, the same phrase was spray-painted on the side of a car.
Police are also investigating offensive messages found on a poster on Marrickville Road, Marrickville.
David Ossip, President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, condemned the attacks, calling them deeply disturbing. “No one should think these are merely acts of vandalism. These hate-filled cretins need to know they will not succeed,” he said.
NSW Premier Chris Minns denounced the incidents, announcing a USD 340,000 grant to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies for enhanced temporary security measures. “These acts designed to intimidate and divide will not work,” Minns stated. “We will always call out these acts for what they are—monstrous and appalling.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the vandalism, calling anti-Semitism a “scourge.”
Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, labeled the incidents as “terrorism against our Jewish community.” He emphasized the urgency of addressing the rise in anti-Semitic symbols, saying, “When Nazi symbols appear once, it’s horrifying. When they appear twice in rapid succession, it’s a crisis demanding immediate action.”
Police investigations into the incidents are ongoing, with authorities seeking to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. These targeted acts of hate have sparked widespread outrage and calls for unity against division and bigotry.
