A shul in Sydney was defaced with antisemitic graffiti early Shabbos morning, marking the second such incident in two days, after another Sydney shul was vandalized on Friday morning. Vandals spray-painted red swastikas on the entrance of a shul in Newtown, an inner suburb of the city.

The attack follows a similar act of vandalism on another Sydney shul in the suburb of Allawah on Friday, where swastikas and hateful messages, including “Hitler on top” and a partially visible “Allah hu Akbar,” were scrawled on the building. Police have since launched a special task force to investigate the incidents and increased patrols around shuls across Sydney.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the graffiti, calling it “abhorrent” and demanding those responsible face justice. “Australia is a better place than this. The vile graffiti we’ve seen overnight has no place in our tolerant, multicultural community,” he said.

The incidents highlight a broader rise in antisemitic activity in Australia, coinciding with heightened tensions following the Israel-Hamas war. A report from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry noted over 2,000 antisemitic incidents across the nation in the past year, quadrupling from the previous year.

Jewish leaders have been recently urging stronger action to combat rising hate crimes targeting their community.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)