JTA
October 27, 2013
Five Jews were hospitalized after being beaten in what was described by an Australian Jewish leader as the worst incident of anti-Semitic violence in Sydney in many years.
Eight males, mostly teenagers, reportedly taunted the religious Jews — four from the Behar family — with slurs as they were walking home in suburban Bondi from Sabbath dinner after midnight Saturday.
A violent confrontation ensued, some of which was caught on closed circuit TV cameras. Security guards from a nearby nightspot intervened before police arrived. They arrested two 17-year-olds and a 23-year-old, but the rest of the alleged attackers fled.
The three were charged — the teens were scheduled to appear in court on Sunday, while the 23-year-old will appear on Dec. 3.
The victims — four men and a woman, most of whom were from Israel — suffered various injuries.
“Some have suffered concussion,” a police spokesman said. “There’s also a fractured cheekbone, a possible broken nose, lacerations and bruising.”
The male victims, aged 27 to 66, were wearing kippot. Three of the men reportedly served in the Israeli army.