A house in Sydney's eastern suburbs was vandalized with red paint on Friday and antisemitic slogans were spray-painted on nearby parked vehicles. Two cars were also set on fire in the incident and no injuries were reported.
Local residents told the AAP outlet that they believe the incident was caused by a mistake in identification, as the vandalized house was previously home to Alex Ryvchin, a prominent leader of Sydney's Jewish community who no longer lives in the area.
As in previous incidents, Australian leaders vowed to respond decisively and apprehend the perpetrators. However, despite a series of similar cases no arrests have been made.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as “another antisemitic attack that goes against everything we stand for.” Opposition leader Peter Dutton described the perpetrators as terrorists, saying, “These individuals are terrorists targeting people to instill fear.”
Police Minister Yasmin Catley called the incident “an intolerable act of hateful cowardice.” She added, “The police are doing everything in their power to identify and apprehend those responsible. There's no place for hatred or antisemitism in our society.” Local police stressed, “Hate crimes are taken very seriously.”
New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies head David Ossip expressed deep concern over the attack. “Waking up to news of yet another antisemitic attack is deeply troubling,” he said. “Crimes like these, carried out by masked cowards and bullies in the dead of night, aim to intimidate the Jewish community and undermine our social cohesion.”
“The hateful criminals behind these acts must know that their campaign of local terror will not succeed,” Ossip added. “The Jewish community is resilient, strong and will remain so.”
Anti-Israel protest in Australia
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Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto also addressed the incident, saying, “This attack isn't just an assault on Jews; it’s an attack on all Australians. The terror attack on October 7 and the subsequent war have unleashed unprecedented antisemitism in Australia. Our social cohesion has been fractured.”