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Anti-semitism abroad: An earlier attack in Seattle
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Photo: Reuters

Australia: Jewish community center attacked

For second time in a week, Jewish institution attacked in Sydney when would-be arsonists target community center in city. Australian Jewish organizations: Incident related to conflict in Lebanon

An additional act of violence against a Jewish institution in Sydney, Australia: A Jewish community center in the Bondi neighborhood of the capital was damaged by unknown vandals. CEO of the New South Wales board of deputies, Vic Alhadeff, said that gasoline-soaked logs were thrown at the building, in an attempt to set it on fire.

 

The center is currently under construction and, thus, was fortunately empty. Only minor damages resulted from the attack.

 

Sunday, a house attached to the city's Parramatta synagogue was the focus of a similar attack. A cement block was thrown through the window and cars near the synagogue also had their windows smashed in. The perpetrators managed to escape and area police reported that they are searching for ten suspects of Middle Eastern appearance seen fleeing the scene.

 

Alhadeff claimed that these two incidents are related to the current conflict between Israel and Hizbullah. "Every time there's a rise in tensions in the Middle East, there is a clear rise in the number of attacks on Jews and Jewish targets in Australia," he told Australian media sources. "There is no place for racism in our society," he added.

 

Pursuant to the two attacks, the New South Wales police department increased security around Jewish and Muslim institutions in the area.

 

This past weekend, the United States was also home to an anti-Semitic incident, when a Muslim-American of Pakistani descent burst into the Jewish Federation building in Seattle, armed with a gun, and opened fire in all directions.

 

As a result of the shooting, one woman was killed and five others were wounded, three of them severely. The man, Naveed Afzal Haq, shouted: "I'm a Muslim-American. I am angry at Israel," prior to beginning his murderous assault. He was arrested by Seattle police.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.02.06, 20:47
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