Key Points
- Two cars were set alight and the former home of a prominent Jewish Australian was splashed with red paint in Sydney.
- NSW Police are still searching for those responsible.
- Politicians and Jewish figures have called for National Cabinet to convene to address escalating antisemitism.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says his government will pursue law changes to tackle antisemitism in the wake of Sydney's latest antisemitic attack in which two cars were set alight and a home formerly belonging to a prominent Jewish Australian was splashed with red paint.
NSW Police have warned the vandals to "look over your shoulder" as they vowed to find those responsible for the Friday morning incident at Dover Heights in Sydney's east.
Meanwhile, politicians and Jewish figures have called for National Cabinet to convene to address what some have labelled an "escalating" antisemitism crisis.
NSW premier flags law changes
Locals told the Australian Associated Press the home's current owners were not Jewish, but Minns confirmed that the home once belonged to Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
Minns had spoken to Ryvchin, who he said was "obviously concerned" over what the premier described as a "disgusting and dangerous act of violence".
At least one of the cars that was torched was also spray-painted with antisemitic graffiti (partially blurred in this image). Source: AAP / Neve Brissenden
"The reason for those changes in hate law and hate speech is because I don't think a firebombing in Sydney is where this begins," Minns said.
"I think it begins with individuals in our community promoting, tolerating and highlighting hatred of Jewish community people in their communities."
Ryvchin told reporters on Friday afternoon the house in Dover Heights was where his family lived for many years.
"I can't with certainty that the people who did this deliberately targeted me and my family," Ryvchin said. "But as the premier said this morning, for them to hit my former house, of all the houses in this neighbourhood, would be one hell of a coincidence".
He said he was confident would "bring these people to justice" and "again restore order to our communities".
"To my own community I want to say: Don't be afraid; don't look upon this and feel intimidated; don't allow the cowards who did this to win, be strong and of good courage and everything will be okay."
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin pictured in December. Source: AAP / JOEL CARRETT/AAPIMAGE
'Look over your shoulder'
Officers responded to the incident at 4am on Friday and police commissioner Karen Webb said a house and four vehicles were "maliciously damaged" and two of the vehicles had been set alight.
"We will continue to investigate this until [those responsible] are found and put before the courts," Webb told reporters on Thursday.
"You can expect police to knock on your door. Look over your shoulder."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was an "outrage" and "against everything we stand for".
"It's causing fear, which is what it is aimed at, and it needs to be stamped out," Albanese told ABC Radio National.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the Jewish community's frustration is "understandable".
"I think there is an incredible frustration and anger within the Jewish community, and I think it's completely understandable," he told Nine's Today show.
Rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia
The vandalism is the latest in a , which come at a time in which reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents are high following the October 7 attack, according to Jewish and Muslim groups.
The attack by and more than 200 others were taken hostage, according to the Israeli government.
Israel's subsequent bombardment of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has killed more than 46,000 people, according to the enclave's health ministry.
The Australian Council of Executive Jewry logged 2,062 anti-Jewish incidents across Australia over the period 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, up from 495 in the previous 12-month period.
The Islamophobia Register it received an average of three reports each week before 7 October last year, which has increased to nearly 18 a week in the aftermath — about a six-fold increase.
Calls to convene National Cabinet
The Dover Heights incident sparked calls for National Cabinet to meet and discuss how to address antisemitism, including from Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission.
In a statement, he described it as an "abhorrent message of intimidation" and urged Albanese to convene state and territory leaders "immediately to address this escalating crisis with the urgency it deserves".
Independent MP Allegra Spender echoed his calls, writing on X that "these dangerous criminal attacks must be stopped and the thugs responsible brought to justice".
"It is time to convene National Cabinet and treat the surge in antisemitism like the crisis it is."
Minns said he would be "open" to such a meeting", adding that Albanese had met with state and territory leaders about a week ago.
"My responsibility is to ensure that we are communicating with the Commonwealth to share intelligence and share information," Minns told reporters.
"My second is to make sure that the public messaging from the NSW government is unambiguous and that is: antisemitic attacks will not be tolerated in NSW and we will do everything we possibly can to confront it and those that perpetrated to arrest them."
With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
