Avner’s Bakery in inner-city Sydney hit with Nazi, Hamas graffiti

A popular inner-city bakery has been defaced with a Hamas terror symbol along with a chilling note left for the owners.

A popular inner-city bakery has been defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti, with a threatening note left for the owner reading “be careful”.

Avner’s Bakery in Surry Hills, Sydney, was hit with the menacing attack overnight Saturday, with a upside down red triangle painted onto the bakery’s window and the note shoved under the door.

The triangle is a Nazi symbol that was used to mark out individuals in concentration camps and it has been used by terror group Hamas to identify Jewish targets.

Former TV chef Ed Halmagyi, the owner of the bakery, revealed the shocking attack on his social media channels.

“Being Jewish in Sydney, 2024 edition,” his Sunday morning post reads.

The threatening note left at the bakery. Picture: Supplied

“This note was shoved under the door of our bakery overnight.

“But the fact is, it’s hard to be intimidated by inner-city middle-class Cosplay Radicals who graduated primary school without their pen license.”

The bakery was open for business on Sunday, with customers drinking coffees in the sun with the triangle symbol still on display.

NewsWire understands Mr Halmagyi continued to serve customers into the afternoon.

The bakery, located on Bourke Street, was opened in 2024 and sells Eastern European and Jewish goods.

The bakery is on Bourke Street in inner-city Sydney. Picture: Supplied

It is the latest anti-Semitic attack to hit Australia following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack on Israel, in which terrorists crossed from Gaza into the Jewish state and slaughtered 1200 Israeli civilians and took 240 hostages.

Israel responded with force and the retaliation campaign, though directed at Hamas fighters, has resulted in thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin called the graffiti a “dangerous form of incitement to violence”.

“Marking a Jewish business with the Hamas death triangle is a dangerous form of incitement to violence that invokes the darkest days in human history,” he said.

“For a year now there has been a permissive attitude towards boycotts of Jewish businesses and the public display of this and other terrorist symbols and it is entirely predictable that the behaviour has progressed to identifying and targeting specific Jewish businesses.

“Australians will be appalled by this conduct which is totally at odds with our national values and any standards of decency and tolerance.

“I hope those responsible are identified and face the full force of the law.”

The red triangle symbol is now used by terror group Hamas to mark out Jewish targets. Picture: Supplied

Some on social media said the attack was redolent of Germany in the 1930s.

“It’s appalling. What is this the 1930s Germany my grandparents came to Australia to escape?” one wrote in response to Mr Halmagyi’s post.

“If we showed anything in this last week or so is Jewish resilience and strength.”

During Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime in the 1930s and 1940s, Jewish businesses were often marked out with a Star of David.

In a statement, NSW Police said they were investigating the incident.

“About 3pm today, officers attached to Surry Hills Police Area Command attended a business on Bourke Street, Surry Hills, after becoming aware of offensive graffiti sprayed on the walls of the premises,” a NSW Police spokeswoman said.

“Police have been told a man also received a written note containing an alleged threat when he arrived at the business the same morning.

“Police are investigating the incident and anyone with information is urged to contact Surry Hills Police or Crime Stoppers.”

Originally published as Avner’s Bakery in inner-city Sydney hit with Nazi, Hamas graffiti