JNF emissary Shlomo Ben Haeim, after the attack in Sydney
Five Jews were viciously attacked in an apparent anti-Semitic assault at a popular beach town near Sydney, Australia on Saturday October 26.
Police said four men ages 66, 48, 39, and 27, along with a 62-year-old woman, were walking along the street in Bondi beach when eight young males began shouting anti-Semitic comments towards them. They began to attack the victims; the incident lasted for 15-20 minutes.
One of the victims was Jewish National Fund emissary Shlomo Ben-Chaim.
“They started yelling ‘dirty Jews’ at us and then they just assaulted us. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Ben-Chaim told Israel Radio.
Police said that attackers fled the scene, but they arrested three men, two 17-year-olds, and a 23-year-old near the scene.
Stepan Kerkyasharian, the president of the Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales, said he will investigate the incident and that “anyone found guilty of racial vilification should be dealt with appropriately.”
The victims were taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. They suffered concussions, fractured bones, lacerations, and bruises. Hospital spokesman David Faktor said that they were attacked because they were Jewish.
“You certainly don’t come to Bondi and expect that,” Faktor told Australia’s ABC News.
“Maybe in Germany in the 1930s and Russia in the 1970s, but certainly in Sydney, Australia, Bondi, you just don’t expect an unprovoked attack,” he said.
The attack provoked sharp comment and debate from community leaders regarding the extent of Anti-Semitism in Australia.
Mr Turnbull, the federal Communications Minister, called for zero tolerance of racism.
”Violence of this kind and, in particular, racist violence, anti-Semitic violence, is completely unacceptable in our society,” Mr Turnbull told the Nine Network. ”We should have zero tolerance.”
NSW Anti-Discrimination Board president Stepan Kerkyasharian said the board would investigate. ”There’s been severe racial vilification here, that’s a term under the legislation, and I think we should look at taking action,” he told Seven Network.
Members of a Jewish family attacked in an anti-Semitic assault at a popular beach town near Sydney, Australia Saturday have issued a statement of thanks.
“We thank G-d that we are alive….Our objective at this time is not vengeance, but justice and concern….and we are concerned about the need for the education of future generations about the importance of goodwill and tolerance,” a statement by the Behar family said according to the Israel National News.
The World Chairman of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) plans to convene an emergency meeting between the organization’s international representatives to discuss the attacks.
Sources: Algemeiner, The Australian
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