By David Hirst, ABC
Australian police are investigating a number of incidents of offensive graffiti targeting religious groups. On Saturday 11 January, offensive messages were found on a Sydney synagogue and a home. Photo: 123RF
This story includes images of offensive messages and symbols.
- Offensive graffiti has been found spray-pained on a synagogue and a house in separate incidents.
- It follows a number of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic graffiti incidents in Sydney's east in recent weeks.
- The president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies says the targeting of synagogues should "sicken us all".
Australian police are investigating after offensive graffiti was found spray-painted on a synagogue and a house in Sydney.
About 7:30am on Saturday morning, police were notified after graffiti was spray-painted on a synagogue on Georgina Street, Newtown, in Sydney's inner west.
Several red swastikas were painted along the front fence of the place of worship.
Australian police are investigating offensive symbols spray painted across the front of a Jewish place of worship in Sydney. Photo: Supplied/ ABC News - Anushri Sood
In an earlier incident, on Friday morning, the Allawah synagogue in southern Sydney was vandalised with several swastikas spray-painted onto exterior walls in what NSW Police have described as "offensive" graffiti.
Also on Saturday morning, officers attended a house on Henry Street, Queens Park, in Sydney's east, after being notified about 6:30am that an anti-Semitic slur had been spray-painted on the front of the property.
The words "F*** Jews" were sprayed on the outside of the home.
Police have launched investigations into each of the incidents.
It follows a number of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic graffiti incidents in Sydney's east in recent weeks.
A police investigation has also commenced into offensive comments written on a poster on Marrickville Road in Marrickville.
Offensive graffiti was spray-painted on the front of a house in Queens Park, Sydney. Photo: Supplied/ ABC News
Funding boost for security after vandalism
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the targeting of synagogues should "sicken us all".
"No-one should think that these are just acts of vandalism," he said.
"This is a concerted campaign to intimidate, harass and menace the Jewish community.
"These hate-filled cretins need to know that they will not succeed."
NSW Premier Chris Minns on Saturday announced a $340,000 grant to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies to contribute toward enhanced temporary security measures.
On the graffiti, Minns said that "these acts designed to intimidate and divide will not work".
"These people are determined to divide our community in two. We will always call out these acts for what they are - monstrous and appalling."
- ABC
