Two Sydney synagogues, a home, and cars were vandalized over the weekend, according to the New South Wales Police Force and Jewish community groups, with one of the houses of worship also targeted with attempted arson as part of the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents in Australia.
The Newtown Synagogue building and fence in Sydney’s inner west was graffitied with red swastikas on Saturday morning, according to NSW Police and Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin, with closed-circuit television footage revealing that a pair of men attempted to light the premises on fire before dawn.
A second Sydney synagogue has been vandalised in the space of 24 hours, with swastikas graffitied onto the Newtown Synagogue Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it is “abhorrent and needs to stop immediately”“Australia is a better place than this” pic.twitter.com/mwCSfwaW4Z
— 6 News Australia (@6NewsAU) January 11, 2025
Ryvchin said on social media on Saturday that the Newton incident occurred in the prime minister’s “backyard,” and calls to finally act against antisemitism were 15 months too late, referencing the escalation of antisemitism in the country after the October 7 massacre.
“Now attacks on Jews are the norm, Australia’s international reputation for peace and tolerance are no more, and the Australian value of mateship, of standing up for those doing it tough, has been exposed as a fiction,” Ryvchin said on X/Twitter.
Police said that offensive graffiti was also found Saturday morning on a Queens Park home, the same suburb where, on Monday, a car was graffitied with the words “F**k the Jews.” According to the Australian Jewish Association, a similar phrase, “f**k Jews,” was painted on the side of the target house on Saturday.
Jewish community at risk
The vandalization of the home was connected by law enforcement to the graffiti spray-painted on five cars and a trailer on the same street. Police mentioned in the same statement that it was investigating offensive comments written on a Marrickville poster. AJA said on X that the vandalism of the poster was antisemitic.
“It’s clear that Labor has completely lost control over the streets and the safety of the Jewish community is at risk,” AJA criticized on X. “The [Prime Minister Anthony] Albanese government was warned on numerous occasions that they were fanning the flames of antisemitism but they chose to ignore the warnings.”
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies responded to the vandalization of the Newtown Synagogue and Queens Park home on Saturday, calling for harsh punishment for the perpetrators.
“No one should think that these are just acts of vandalism. This is a concerted campaign to intimidate, harass, and menace the Jewish community,” the board said in a statement. “These hate-filled cretins need to know that they will not succeed. The Jewish community is resilient and will not be intimidated and the broader Australian community despises these concerted attempts to erode our social cohesion and harmony.”
The spate of antisemitic Sydney vandalism began on Friday morning before dawn, when a NSW police patrol discovered graffiti on the Southern Sydney Synagogue.
“Hitler on top,” and “Free Palestine” read part of the graffiti, according to photographs shared by the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies and the AJA.
Swastikas were painted on the walls of the house of worship, and there was a mention of “Allah.”
NSW Police said that they were looking for a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean man with a long brown beard who they believed could “assist with their inquiries.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a statement that he was outraged by the incident and insisted that the attack was not representative of the state’s acceptance of the Jewish community.
Ryvchin said on X that the Jewish community expected swift arrests to be made and called on officials and fellow citizens to denounce such behavior.
“As long as these people evade justice for trying to terrorize Australian citizens, it will continue,” he said.
The Board of Deputies said in a statement that Australians shouldn’t be afraid to wake up each morning to another antisemitic incident. It called for stronger legislation against hate speech and incitement to violence.
The AJA noted on X that there was an element of anti-Israel activity to the crime, and called on the government to take action against anti-Zionist extremists.
NSW opposition leader Mark Speakman said on social media that the vandalism was designed to instill fear and terror.
Australian opposition leader and Liberal Party head Peter Dutton warned on X that such incidents were the precursor for even greater evils, and called for action to be taken before more attacks occurred.
The vandalization and attempted arson of the Newtown synagogue came just over a month after the high profile arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, and soon after the series of antisemitic incidents in Sydney.
A man was charged on Tuesday for driving past two pedestrians outside a place of worship last Saturday and making a shooting gesture. Police didn’t say that Jewish worshipers were targeted, but two synagogues are on the short road in the Sydney suburb of St. Ives.
Saturday’s and Monday’s vehicular vandalism incidents followed a car being set ablaze and two properties spray painted with anti-Israel messages in Sydney on December 11, and several vehicles being vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, and another set on fire, in the Woollahra area in mid-November.
As Jewish community leaders have expressed concern about their safety, the NSW government on December 22 announced new measures to ease security upgrades for houses of worship.
The Places of Worship 2024 State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) amendment would allow churches, mosques and synagogues to install bollards, fencing, lighting, security cameras, safety glass and reinforced doors. The state also was considering reforms to regulate protests outside of houses of worship, it said in a generalized press release that did not emphasize the Jewish community over other groups.
“Places of worship should be sanctuaries of peace and safety. We are working to ensure that all people can worship freely without fear. These changes will make that possible,” said Minns. “This decision follows several recent incidents of vandalism and arson against religious buildings in the state, highlighting the urgent need for heightened security.”