Tourist calls for Anthony Albanese to stamp out anti-Semitism after clash with Sadee Sub Laban

A Jewish tourist holidaying in Australia says former Love Island star Sadee Sub Laban attacked them in a park, calling them ‘children killers’ and telling them to get out.

American tourist Sophie says she will not return to Australia because of the anti-Semitism here. Picture: Supplied

An American Jewish tourist who says she suffered a “distressing” verbal attack by a former Love Island star has claimed Australia has become unsafe for Jews to visit under Anthony Albanese’s leadership, vowing she will never return amid rising anti-Semitism.

US tourist Sophie, 42, was holidaying with her husband in Perth on December 17 when footage emerged last week of the pair’s heated exchange with former reality star and ex-Penrith Panthers junior footballer Sadee Sub Laban, who was filmed taunting her with the words, “Youse are gronks, that’s what youse are, youse are genocide ... the children killer. Get out of Perth …”

The British New Yorker, who withheld her surname for fear of reprisals, was taking photos in Perth’s Kings Park when she claims Mr Sub Laban and a female companion spotted a Star of David sticker on her phone case and confronted her.

“I knew it was bad in Australia through reports I’ve been reading, people told me not to visit,” Sophie said.

“I was warned but never expected anything to happen to me ... It’s left a bad taste in my mouth. I won’t be coming back.”

US tourist Sophie said she was called a ‘child killer’ in an anti-Semitic attack by former Love Island star Sadee Sub Laban. Picture: Supplied

Sophie believes she was targeted because her mobile phone case has a Star of David sticker. Picture: Supplied

The confrontation, which Mr Albanese at the time labelled “abhorrent”, came just 11 days after the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue.

Sophie, who spent several months living in “beautiful” Australia in the 1990s, labelled the rise in anti-Semitic incidents “disturbing” and urged Mr Albanese to do more to “get a grip” on the issue, claiming Jewish tourists were now hesitant to visit our shores.

Sadee Sub Laban was walking through Kings Park in Perth with a woman wearing a niqab when the confrontation erupted.

The former Love Island star has presented a different version of events.

“This is the first time someone has confronted me for being a Jew ... the government seriously needs to tackle the rising anti-Semitism and the lack of effective response from authorities. It’s bad for tourism,” she said.

“(Mr Albanese) needs to get a grip on the problem. People are scared to come here.

“I live in New York and visit the UK and (similar incidents have) never happened to me.

“Mr Albanese has said he will not tolerate anti-Semitism in Australia but there are demonstrations every week in Sydney ... he needs to take a tougher stance against this big problem in Australia.”

There have been 2062 anti-Semitic incidents targeting Australia’s 100,000 Jews in the 12 months to September, up from 495 last year.

A report published by the Jewish peak body The Executive Council for the Australian Jewry reveals a 491 per cent spike in physical assaults since the October 7 attacks in Israel last year.

The Australian Jewish Association’s Robert Gregory said the spate of incidents were “damaging Australia’s international reputation”.

“Under the Albanese government, anti-Semitism has skyrocketed, and social cohesion has been destroyed. It’s time for the federal government to start treating this issue seriously,” he said.

A statement from Mr Albanese’s office said his government had taken “strong measures to combat anti-Semitism”, including establishing a federal police taskforce to investigate incidents across Australia, and banning the Nazi salute and other hate symbols in January.

“I unequivocally condemn any form of anti-Semitism,” Mr Albanese said.

“There is no place for this type of behaviour in Australia.”

Mr Sub Laban, a law and business student at Western Sydney University, later posted on TikTok claiming he was reacting to Sophie’s husband declaring “All Glory to Israel”, calling the couple’s account of the situation “so far from the truth”.

“If he said that to me, don’t I have the right to defend myself?” he said in the video.

West Australian Police said officers were aware of the incident but no formal complaint had been made.

Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email [e-mail]

Originally published as Tourist calls for Anthony Albanese to stamp out anti-Semitism after clash with Sadee Sub Laban