Anti-Israel vandals target Sydney suburb
'This is the latest escalation in a campaign of intimidation and harassment targeted at the Jewish community'
NSW Premier Chris Minns has labelled overnight anti-Israel vandalism in Sydney’s Woollahra “absolutely deplorable”.
Up to a dozen cars were vandalised, a vehicle was set alight, and buildings were defaced with anti-Israel graffiti in leafy Wellington Street, Woollahra, with the defacement extending to nearby Ocean Street, where the upmarket restaurant Chiswick was also daubed with offensive slogans.
Labelling it an “antisemitic attack”, Minns said the vandalism “is unacceptable, unAustralian, and it will not be tolerated”.
“The NSW Police have stood up Strike Force Mylor to investigate those who participated in this disgraceful behaviour,” Minns said.
“The Jewish community is an integral part of the wider NSW community and we are completely committed to ensuring the safety and security of Jewish people in NSW.”
In a rare joint press conference on Thursday afternoon, Labor Member for Macnamara Josh Burns and Liberal Senator Dave Sharma stood united in condemning the incidents.
“The vandalism and the violence we saw in the eastern suburbs of Sydney overnight needs to be rightfully condemned. They have no place in modern Australia,” Burns said.
“I understand people have strong views about conflicts right around the world, including the Middle East, but to target Jewish people in Australia is not a legitimate form of political discussion … [it] is antisemitism plain and simple.
“I also want to say that I’m really pleased to be standing here with Dave. This is above politics. This is about the sort of country that we want to see together.”
Sharma said, “This is an attack that’s designed to menace, intimidate and silence one group of Australians only. This community of Australians, Jewish Australians, have been feeling besieged and under threat for the past year, and it simply has to stop.
“It’s an attack, as Josh said, on the values and the social compact that holds us all together as Australians.”
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the state communal roof body was “closely liaising with the authorities” over the incidents.
“This is the latest escalation in a campaign of intimidation and harassment targeted at the Jewish community,” he said.
“There cannot be any tolerance for criminal behaviour like this, which undermines social cohesion and is antithetical to the Australian values we all hold dear.”
He said the Jewish community “will not be intimidated” by acts of criminality and antisemitism.
“We will continue to stand with our fellow Australians to reject acts and words of division and hate which seek to disrupt the societal harmony we all treasure,” he said.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the anti-Israel movement “has been growing progressively more extreme, more violent and more indifferent to who it harms”.
“It wasn’t stopped at the Opera House steps. It wasn’t stopped at the pro-Hamas encampments. And it wasn’t stopped at the hate preachers,” he said.
“Now Australians are waking up to find their property destroyed and their suburbs violated.”
Mayor of Woollahra, Councillor Sarah Swan said she was appalled.
“This hateful criminal activity is not welcome anywhere in Australia and it is very distressing and worrying for our community,” she said.
“Woollahra Council is grateful to the Eastern Suburbs Local Area Command which is thoroughly investigating and we encourage members of the public with information or relevant CCTV footage to report it immediately. The Council offers its full support to the police.”
Member for Vaucluse Kellie Sloane said the escalation was deeply troubling.
“These disgraceful attacks on the Jewish community must stop,” she said.
“Violence and intimidation have no place in our city. The eastern suburbs has endured ongoing acts of vandalism, hate and abuse since Oct 7.”
Federal Member for Wentworth Allegra Spender said, “These attacks are intended to intimidate – but my message to the community is we must not let them undermine the community we are and our values – where everyone is welcome, regardless of faith, background, sexuality or ethnicity.”
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said, “This hate crime is the direct result of the unrelenting incitement against Israel and the explosion of antisemitism we are witnessing around the nation. Words of dehumanisation have real-world consequences, and this is proof of what happens when rhetoric becomes violence.”
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