Since Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, Australia’s Jewish community has faced a sharp rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment, reaching a new low over the weekend. A synagogue in Melbourne was set ablaze while approximately 20 worshippers, including children, were inside. They escaped unharmed but the fire damaged the building’s entrance.
Australian police arrested a suspect in connection with the incident, marking the second synagogue arson in Melbourne in less than a year, following the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in December 2024. Concurrently, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters in the city targeted an Israeli restaurant owned by Israeli chef Eyal Shani, smashing windows and chanting “Death to the IDF.”
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Suspected arsonist on way to Melbourne syngogue, synagogue's doors burned by firebomb
(Photo: Victoria Police, social media)
Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler condemned the events, saying, “Some 20 Victoria residents could have been killed and another Melbourne synagogue could have been destroyed, had this terrorist act not been stopped at the last moment.
“This comes just days after thousands at the Glastonbury Festival were led to chant death slogans—slogans sadly echoed here in Melbourne, where an angry mob stormed a restaurant beloved by the Jewish community and many others.”
Zionism Victoria President Elyse Schachna added, “This violent extremism is seeping into every layer of our society, destroying the multicultural fabric of Victoria we were once so proud of. We must be clear: the pogrom that took place on Friday night, at both an Israeli restaurant and a synagogue, proves it’s never just ‘anti-Israel’—it’s always antisemitic.”
Eyal Mark, a Melbourne resident and head of the ARZA Australia organization, spoke to Ynet on Sunday about the incidents, expressing hope that they don’t signal a continuing escalation. “There was a brief sense of calm but now two events in a short time have raised concerns. We expect focused and effective action,” he said.
Mark noted a palpable fear within the community, particularly among Jews, who are less accustomed to such hostility compared to Israelis. “I attended a protest outside Victoria’s parliament less than an hour ago, where Indian, Christian, Persian, Iranian exiles and Jewish communities united to demand an end to this, but effective government and police action is needed.”
The Jewish community has faced unprecedented challenges in the two years since October 7, with many reluctant to speak publicly without anonymity or face blurring due to safety concerns. Mark shared an example of a board member of a Zionist Jewish organization requesting their name be removed from the group’s website.
“People are afraid to visit identifiably Jewish places or wear symbols like a kippah or Star of David,” he said. This fear predates recent events, with a 2023 report from the Australian Zionist and student organizations noting university students avoiding campuses or Zionist symbols due to harassment over their Jewish or Israeli identity.
The situation has worsened significantly, with some groups seemingly intent on fueling these tensions. Mark recounted a community member saying, “I’m glad my mother, a Holocaust survivor, isn’t alive to see what’s happening here.”
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Critics argue that authorities have been too lenient with antisemitic agitators in the name of free speech. “There’s a sense that not enough has been done to deter these instigators,” Mark said. “We value free speech but it’s been used to infringe on others’ freedoms. The arrest of a suspect in the arson case may indicate a shift toward taking these matters more seriously.”
Antisemitism isn’t new, nor solely driven by immigrants, Mark noted. “It’s been beneath the surface for centuries, in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. Recent immigration waves and the events of the past two years have brought it to the forefront. This doesn’t represent most Australians but a vocal minority, often a mix of radical socialists and Islamists with conflicting agendas, unites against Jews.”
Antisemitism targeting Jewish students in Sydney
Alongside the alarming incidents in Melbourne, a parliamentary inquiry in New South Wales revealed that Jewish children and teens in Sydney’s Jewish schools have faced death threats and abuse. The New South Wales Legislative Council launched the inquiry following multiple antisemitic incidents in Sydney, with findings expected by September.
The inquiry uncovered Jewish students enduring egg-throwing, street harassment, Nazi salutes and death threats amid a wave of racism. Miriam Hasofer, principal of Moriah College, a private Jewish school in Sydney, said that the hatred directed at her community has become “crude, vile, and targeted” to intimidate.
She described a ninth-grade girl chased in Queens Park by a woman repeatedly shouting, “To hell with the Jews” and “Free Palestine,” leaving the girl terrified. Hasofer also shared an anonymous message received by the school: “I hope all the children, parents and staff get cancer and die a slow, painful death. Heil Hitler.”
She recounted incidents of people driving past the college making Nazi salutes or yelling, “To hell with the Jews.” Security at Moriah College has been heightened, with “almost one incident per week in 2025, nearly two years of relentless, targeted abuse,” Hasofer said. “Our leaders operate like a counter-terrorism unit—this is our new normal.”
Bassina Farbenblum, a board member of Emanuel School, said Jewish students “fear for their safety.” She noted, “Kids in my son’s class have had eggs thrown at them.” Dave Hudson, a senior New South Wales police official, reported a rising annual rate of documented hate incidents against the Jewish community.
Linda Ames, principal of Emanuel School, described the hatred aimed at her students: “We’ve heard shouts of ‘Nazis,’ ‘Hitler,’ and ‘gas chambers.’ This is antisemitism.”