Five Jews Injured in Sydney Anti-Semitic Attack

Police have charged three people over an alleged anti-Semitic attack in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Four men and a woman were walking home from the synagogue in Bondi in the early hours of Saturday when a group of about eight young men began yelling anti-Semitic insults at them.

Police say the confrontation soon turned into a physical fight.

They arrested two 17-year-olds and a 23-year-old man at the scene, but the rest of the alleged attackers managed to run away.

The two teenagers were charged with affray and breach of bail. They were refused bail and will appear in children’s court tomorrow.

The 23-year-old was charged with affray and granted bail.

Sergeant David Rose says all five victims, aged between 27 and 66, were injured during the attack.

“Some have suffered concussion – there’s also a fractured cheekbone, a possible broken nose, lacerations and bruising,” he said.

“All those injured people were treated by ambulance paramedics and then conveyed to St Vincent’s Hospital.”

Hospital spokesman David Faktor says the victims told him it was an unprovoked attack and that they were targeted because they were Jewish.

One man aged in his sixties suffered a bleed on the brain, but is expected to make a full recovery.

All five victims are recovering at St Vincent’s Hospital.

Families of the victims are shocked and upset about the attack

Mr Faktor says the families of the victims are very upset and cannot understand why people would want to hurt them.

“You certainly don’t come to Bondi and expect that,” he said.

“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.”

Mr Stepan Kerkyasharin, the president of the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, says he is concerned anti-Semitic attacks are still occurring.

“We are a fairly mature society where we have a very clear understanding that we are people of different racial backgrounds,” he said.

“We have to live together in a manner where we accept diversity and respect diversity.”

Mr Kerkyasharin says anyone found guilty of racial vilification should be dealt with appropriately.

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