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Jewish leaders demand action after Sydney synagogues attacked

Posted on by Peyom
Jewish leaders demand action after Sydney synagogues attacked

Two Synagogues in SydneyAccording to the New South Wales Police Force and Jewish community groups, vandalism occurred at a building, a home and cars over the weekend. One of the houses of worship was also the target of an attempted arson as part of a series of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia.

The building and fence of the Sydney Inner West Newtown Synagogue were ablaze before sunrise on Saturday morning, daubed with red graffiti and red swastikas, according to NSW Police and Executive Council of Australian Jews CEO Alex Ryvchin.

Ryvchin said on social media on Saturday that the Newton incident happened in the prime minister’s “backyard” and calls to finally act against anti-Semitism were 15 months too late, citing the escalation of anti-Semitism in the country after the massacre on May 21 October 7th.

“Now attacks on Jews are the norm, Australia’s international reputation for peace and tolerance is no longer there and the Australian value of camaraderie, of standing up for those who are having a hard time, has been exposed as fiction,” Ryvchin said on X.

Police said offensive graffiti was also found on Saturday morning at a home in Queens Park, the same suburb where a car was daubed with the words “F**k the Jews” on Monday. According to the Australian Jewish Association, there is a similar phrase: “Fucking Jews” was painted on the side of the target house on Saturday.

View of the synagogue in Sydney covered in anti-Semitic graffiti. January 10, 2025. (Source: SCREENSHOT/X/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)

Jewish community in danger

The vandalism at the home was linked by law enforcement to graffiti sprayed on five cars and a trailer on the same street. Police mentioned in the same statement that they were investigating offensive comments on a Marrickville poster. AJA said on X that the vandalism of the poster was anti-Semitic.

“It is clear that Labor has completely lost control of the streets and the safety of the Jewish community is at risk,” criticized AJA on anti-Semitism, but they chose to ignore the warnings.”

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies responded to the destruction of the Newtown Synagogue and Queens Park House on Saturday, calling for harsh punishment for the perpetrators.

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“No one should think that this is just vandalism. This is a concerted campaign to intimidate, harass and threaten the Jewish community,” the board said in a statement. “These hateful idiots need to know that they will not succeed. The Jewish community is resilient and will not be intimidated, and the wider Australian community despises these concerted attempts to undermine our social cohesion and harmony.”

The flood of anti-Semitic Sydney vandalism began before dawn on Friday morning when a New South Wales police patrol spotted graffiti at the Southern Sydney Synagogue.

“Hitler at the top,” read part of the graffiti in photos shared by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and the AJA. “Free Palestine.”

As in the recent incident, swastikas were painted on the walls of the place of worship and “Allah” was mentioned.

New South Wales police said they were looking for a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean man with a long brown beard who they believed could “assist with their inquiries”.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said in a statement on Friday he was outraged by the incident in his own electorate and stressed the attack was not representative of the state’s acceptance of the Jewish community.

Ryvchin said on X that the Jewish community expects quick arrests and called on officials and fellow citizens to denounce such behavior.

“As long as these people evade justice because they seek to terrorize Australian citizens, this will continue,” Ryvchin said.

The Board of Deputies said in a statement that Australians should not fear waking up to another anti-Semitic incident every morning. It called for stricter legislation against hate speech and incitement to violence.

The AJA noted on X that the crime contained an element of anti-Israel activity and called on the government to take action against anti-Zionist extremists.

New South Wales Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said on social media that the vandalism was aimed at inciting fear and terror.

Australian Opposition Leader and Liberal Party Chairman Peter Dutton warned on X that such incidents were a precursor to greater evils and called for action before further attacks occurred.

The destruction and attempted arson of the Newtown Synagogue came not just a month after the high-profile arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, but after a series of anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney.

A man was charged Tuesday for passing two pedestrians and making a shooting gesture in front of a place of worship last Saturday. Police did not say Jewish worshipers were targeted, but two synagogues are located on the short street in the Sydney suburb of St Ives.

The vehicle vandalism incidents on Saturday and Monday followed a car being set on fire and two properties being spray-painted with anti-Israel messages in Sydney on December 11, several vehicles being vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti and another being vandalized in the Woollahra area in mid-November was set on fire.

As Jewish community leaders expressed concern about their safety, the New South Wales government announced new measures on December 22 to facilitate security improvements for places of worship.

The 2024 change to the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) for Places of Worship would allow churches, mosques and synagogues to install bollards, fences, lighting, surveillance cameras, safety glass and reinforced doors. The state is also considering reforms to regulate protests outside places of worship, according to a general news release that does not single out the Jewish community over other groups.

“Places of worship should be sanctuaries of peace and security. We are committed to ensuring that all people can worship freely and without fear. These changes will make that possible,” Minns said. “This decision follows several recent incidents of vandalism and arson at religious buildings in the state and underscores the urgent need for increased security.”