The wave of antisemitism in Australia shows no sign of abating. An 18-year-old Jewish teenager was assaulted over the weekend at a Scouts camp in the state of Victoria after wearing a kippah and a pin bearing the Israeli flag, according to a report Monday in the Australian newspaper The Australian.
The incident occurred during a senior Scouts camp held at Lardner Park in West Gippsland, Victoria, attended by more than 1,500 youths and volunteers. According to police, the teenager was walking through the park on Saturday afternoon when an unidentified individual approached him, cursed at him over the kippah and Israeli flag, and demanded to know why he was carrying “that flag.” The Anti-Defamation Commission reported that the attacker also accused Israel of “killing children.”
Later that evening, The Australian reported, the same individual approached the teenager again, tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned around, struck him repeatedly. The teenager sustained minor injuries and was taken for medical treatment after reporting the incident to camp counselors.
Police emphasized that investigators believe the assault was targeted. “There is no place in our society for antisemitic, racist or hate-based behavior,” authorities said in a statement.
Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission and a prominent figure in the fight against antisemitism in Australia, spoke with the teenager and his parents following the incident. According to Abramovich, the teen — identified as Joshua — said he felt frightened and saddened that he was not free to openly express his culture and religion. “I’ve always heard about antisemitic attacks, but I never thought it would happen to me,” the teenager told him.
Abramovich said that “we have reached a point where too many people believe that anyone associated with Israel or openly standing as a Jew is a legitimate target for violence.” He added that there is a direct link between slogans heard on the streets and violence on the ground, and called on Victoria Police to “apply the full force of the law.”
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In contrast, Jon McGregor, chief executive of Scouts Victoria, said that “a confrontation occurred between two young people,” and that one of them was immediately sent home. He said the removed participant had expressed remorse and issued a written apology. “Scouts Victoria is an inclusive organization that does not tolerate discrimination, harassment or violence,” he stressed.
Police urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage of it to come forward.
On Friday, a man driving a van rammed into the gates of a synagogue in Brisbane during Shabbat prayers. Queensland Police said the suspect deliberately targeted the city’s main synagogue, where members of the Jewish community were gathered for Shabbat services. Using surveillance footage, officers identified the vehicle and arrested the driver within hours.