‘On the hunt to kill Jews’: Aussie suburb on alert after threat

A car full of men allegedly told a local in Melbourne they were “on the hunt to kill Jews”.

A car full of men of ‘Arab descent’ reportedly boasted they were ‘on the hunt to kill Jews’ as they cruised around a Melbourne suburb, with police on alert for anti-Semitic threats in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.

The bloody conflict has shocked the world with hundreds now dead and around 150 people kidnapped by Hamas, the militant group who launched a deadly attack on Saturday.

Pro-Palestinian rallies have been held in Australia this week, including one at the Sydney Opera House on Monday evening, which was largely condemned by state and national leaders after some supporters were seen making anti-Semitic comments.

Another reported incident directed at Australian Jews occurred at an intersection in Toorak, in inner Melbourne’s south east, at 4pm on Tuesday.

People of Jewish faith make up almost 10 per cent of the Toorak community.

Police are looking into reports of anti-Semitic threats near Toorak after it’s alleged a car full of men told a Melbourne witness they were “on the hunt to kill Jews”.

The suburb’s Jewish population is far above the Victorian and national percentages, which sit at 0.4 and 0.5 respectively.

A Melbourne man made the allegatons online.

He claims a friend had told him: “A car full of Arab boys tell me to wind down my window, and they asked, ‘do you know where any Jews are?’”

The witness replied: “No, but why?”.

The incident comes amid fears of domestic repercussions of the bloody Israel-Hamas conflict, which broke out over the weekend. A pro-Palestine took place on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on Monday evening. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Someone from the back of the car then allegedly said: “We’re on the hunt to kill Jews.”

“Everyone look after themselves,” the man who made the report urged locals.

Victoria Police confirmed that Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit detectives are looking into reports of “anti-Semitic threats” relating to the alleged incident.

“Police have been told a car pulled over near a man on Toorak Road near Williams Road about when threats were made by occupants of the car about 4pm,” a spokeswoman said.

“There is absolutely no place at all in our society for anti-Semitic or hate-based behaviour, and Victoria Police is committed to responding to any such acts.”

In an update this afternoon, Victoria Police said that while there were no arrests at this stage, “Investigators are currently speaking to all parties”.

Victoria Police detectives are investigating the incident. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The man who made the report said the men looked “very scary” and were all under 30.

This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced “horrific” displays of pro-Palestinian in Sydney as the crisis in the Middle East continues to escalate.

Demonstrators chanted “f*** the Jews”, burning the Israeli flag at the forecourt of the Opera House after the NSW government decided to illuminate sails blue and white – the flag’s colours.

Mr Albanese condemned the protesters and called for calm.

“We need to lower the temperature,” he said.

“I don’t want to see conflict here in Australia, and I don’t want to see the sort of scenes that I saw last night.”