PM condemns ‘antisemitic hate incident’ after Jewish boys allegedly targeted in Melbourne | Victoria

The Prime Minister condemned an “anti-Semitic hate incident” in which “Nazi slogans” were allegedly shouted at schoolchildren in a popular Jewish neighborhood in Melbourne on Monday evening.

In a statement, police said investigators were told about five children were on Glen Eira Road in St Kilda East and a white ute passed them at around 9.50pm on Monday night.

They claimed the people inside “hurled anti-Semitic abuse” at the children before stopping their vehicle a short distance away.

“The victims ran across the road, then made a U-turn and advanced towards the victims,” police said.

Luckily, no one was injured and the vehicle drove away from the scene.

Anthony Albanese said that “anti-Semitic hate incidents targeting young Jewish boys have no place in our country”.

He said it would be a “terrible ordeal” for young Australians to be allegedly targeted because of their Jewish beliefs.

“At a time when Australians are uniting with the Jewish community in grief and solidarity, it is beyond disgusting to see these cowards chanting Nazi slogans at young people,” he said.

“Victorian police are investigating and I want to see the perpetrators faced with the full force of the law.”

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Detectives from the Moorabbin Criminal Investigation Unit said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that they had identified two persons of interest and were pursuing “a number of investigative leads”. Police claimed the perpetrators were likely linked to a number of crimes in the area, including aggravated burglary and vehicle theft.

The state’s premier, Jacinta Allan, said anti-Semitic behavior “has absolutely no place here in Victoria”.

He said that if the alleged perpetrators had given the Nazi salute, as reported by some media outlets, “that salute is prohibited here in Victoria, you can be prosecuted for it and Victoria police will launch an investigation.”

“We already have the strongest anti-hate laws in the country and my plan is to strengthen those anti-hate laws when parliament returns,” he said.

Josh Burns, the federal member for Macnamara, which covers St Kilda and Elsternwick, said the area was a “centre of Jewish life” where people deserved to feel safe.

“This community is literally the descendants of Holocaust survivors who came to Australia looking for a safe haven, and it was a safe haven,” he told Sky News on Tuesday afternoon.

“It is completely unacceptable to see this happen.”

Jewish Community Council of Victoria chief executive Naomi Levin said it was a “shameful, anti-Semitic attack”.

“A video has been circulating of a group of Jewish school children being physically and verbally threatened in East St Kilda last night,” he said.

“Children in front of the Jewish community and educational center reported that people in the car gave Nazi salutes, chanted Nazi slogans and followed them as they tried to reach safety.

“The perpetrators must be arrested and face Victoria’s new, stronger anti-defamation laws.”

A Victoria police spokesman said there was “absolutely no place for anti-Semitic, racist or hate-based behavior in our society and such activity will not be tolerated.”

“The investigation is ongoing and police are appealing for anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident or the vehicle in the area to come forward,” officials said.

The incident occurred near the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne, built by Holocaust survivors who fled Europe, which was attacked by an arson attack in the early hours of December 6, 2024.

The arson was condemned by Allan at the time as a hateful and violent “act of anti-Semitism”.