Australian police report: Vandals who defaced a Sydney synagogue also attempted arson

A synagogue in the Sydney area was targeted in an antisemitic attack on Saturday, with police confirming that the building had been defaced with antisemitic graffiti and was also the site of an attempted arson.

The prime minister of Australia’s New South Wales (NSW), Chris Minns, said the incident marked a “massive escalation in antisemitic crime in the state” and that it was “very concerning, not just for the Jewish community but for the wider community.”

Like many other global communities, Australia has reported a sharp increase in antisemitism and related criminal activity since the beginning of the Gaza War on Oct. 7, 2023, during which 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas terrorists and 251 taken hostage.

Antisemitic activity, such as graffiti sprayed on cars and synagogues, took a more serious turn last year when an arson attempt on a synagogue in Melbourne was ruled as terrorism by local police authorities. This has heightened concerns following the recent attack in Sydney.

On Sunday, David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said “he welcomed extra resources promised by the government to probe the recent incidents,” according to the Times of Israel.

Ossip also reported that the NSW government had allotted additional financial support to enhance the security of its Jewish communities.

A video shared on 𝕏 reportedly showed that the Newtown synagogue was the target of an attempted firebombing. Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne expressed his support for the Jewish community during what he referred to as "this challenging time."

“This antisemitism has been building up for some time now, there’s been increasing reports across the last year and it needs to stop,” he added. “We as a community need to stand strongly to say we oppose antisemitism and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community at this time.”

Some Jewish organizations have expressed dissatisfaction with the government, believing it has not taken adequate action to address the attacks and the increased risks faced by their members of the community.

Approximately 85% of Australia’s Jewish population live in Sydney or Melbourne, where most antisemitic crimes have taken place.

A report from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) found that “Australian Jews experienced more than 2,000 anti-Jewish incidents over the past year, more than quadruple the number from the previous year.”

Additionally, a whopping total of 2,062 incidents were recorded between October 2023 and September 2024 compared to 495 incidents noted one year earlier.