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“I always heard about antisemitic attacks, but never thought it would happen to me,” the man who was attacked said.
By Shula Rosen
Australian police are investigating a suspected antisemitic assault after an 18-year-old Jewish man was punched at a Scouts camp near Melbourne over the weekend, authorities said.
Victoria Police said the incident began around 2 p.m. Saturday in Lardner, southeast of Melbourne, when Joshua Levy was walking in a park and approached by an unknown male believed to be 16 or 17.
Police and the Anti-Defamation Commission said the suspect verbally abused Levy for wearing a yarmulke and carrying an Israeli flag.
Later that night, the same individual reportedly confronted Levy again at a crowded camp event attended by about 300 people and struck him three times in the face.
Levy was examined by a doctor at the scene. He was then restricted from leaving the area because of concerns he could face further assault from the suspect’s friends, reports said.
Levy and his father reported the incident Sunday at Caulfield Police Station, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.
The Anti-Defamation Commission said the incident left Levy shaken. “Scared and sad that I’m not free to express my culture and religion freely,” the organization quoted him as saying. “I always heard about antisemitic attacks but never thought it would happen to me.”
Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, condemned the alleged assault and urged authorities to pursue the case fully. “This is not 1930s Germany. This is Australia in 2026,” Abramovich said in a statement.
“Bondi was supposed to be a wake-up call. We have reached a point where too many people in this county believe that anyone who is associated with Israel, who wears a yarmulke, who stands openly as a Jew, is fair game for violence or worse.”
Victoria Police said they are continuing to gather information and assess the circumstances surrounding both encounters. Police did not release details about potential charges or identify the suspect, citing the ongoing investigation.
The Scouts camp remained active during the weekend, and authorities did not indicate whether additional security measures were put in place following the incident.
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