Car in Sydney hit with antisemitic graffiti, drawing condemnation

A car in Sydney has been spray-painted with an antisemitic message, in the latest incident of hate toward Jews to rock Australia in recent weeks.

A vehicle in Queens Park, one of the city’s Eastern Suburbs that have a heavily Jewish population, was hit with “Fuck the Jews” graffiti.

Sydney. Again. Another suburb with a large Jewish community and multiple Jewish communal facilities. No one just vandalises a car with a racist slogan. It is the product of endless incitement, demonisation and a belief that such attitudes are freely permitted, even celebrated. pic.twitter.com/KPxRTpf1bK

— Alex Ryvchin (@AlexRyvchin) January 5, 2025

David Ossip, president of the Jewish Board of Deputies in the New South Wales state, tells local media he is “appalled and saddened” about the latest incident.

“It is unacceptable that Jewish Australians and Australians of all backgrounds have had to wake up yet again and see messages of hate prominently displayed in their neighborhood,” he says. “It is intolerable that Australians are having to go to bed fearful that their cars or properties will be defaced overnight with antisemitic hate speech.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacts, saying: “There is no tolerance for antisemitism in Australia, from my government, nor should there be tolerance from anyone else. Antisemitism is a scourge, and any event such as this, targeting people because of who they are, is not the Australian values that I hold dear, and the Australian values that are held dear by overwhelmingly Australians.”