‘Evil at work’: Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin slams attack on former Dover Heights home

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin says he is concerned someone could soon die if anti-Semitic attacks continue, after his former home was vandalised in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

An anti-Semitic attack that targeted the former home of Alex Ryvchin. Picture: OnScene Bondi

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin says there is an “evil at work” across the nation fuelling horrendous anti-Semitic attacks, calling on Australians to “speak up” on “wickedness” after his former property was at the centre of the latest strike.

Mr Ryvchin, whose former family home was doused in red paint early this morning, said he was deeply concerned that someone will soon die as a result of the escalating hatred of Australian Jews and growing number of anti-Semitic incidents.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin and wife Vicki outside their former Sydney home, which was the subject of an anti-Semitic attack. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers / The Australian

He said Anthony Albanese – along with Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke – had called him personally this morning, with the Prime Minister saying he was “deeply hurt by what had transpired”.

“I fear that we’re going to wake up before long with someone dead. I think that’s the trajectory that we’re on, and we’ve been there for a long time,” Mr Ryvchin told reporters.

“When you have people in our society who were so consumed by wickedness and hatred that they would set fire ... to suburban streets and risk the lives of everyone who lives here, simply because they disagree with certain views or opinions, it shows that we’re in a very dangerous state.”

Police and emergency services were called to Dover Heights in the early hours this morning, following reports cars were graffitied with shocking slurs, two vehicles were set alight, and Mr Ryvchin’s former family house was doused with red paint.

One of the cars destroyed by fire, a Mercedes, had “f..k Jews” sprayed on the side and a Honda had “f..k Israel” vandalised on its rear windscreen and trunk. Both vehicles were towed this morning as police investigated the scene and sourced CCTV of the horrific strike.

Officers are inquiring as to whether the incident was targeted at Mr Ryvchin. The Australian understands the current residents of the home are not Jewish, but of Asian descent.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin. Picture: Dan Peled

Mr Ryvchin, holding a press conference at the crime scene, said he could not be certain the perpetrators knew it was his old house, but “it might be the world’s biggest coincidence if of all the houses in all the streets of this neighbourhood, they hit my former home by accident”.

“To target someone’s home. Someone’s sanctuary. Someone’s family. To endanger the lives of the good and decent Australians who live here. To light a fire on a residential street where families were sleeping,” he said.

“There is an evil at work in this country. We have to recognise that. There are people so consumed by hatred that they would burn those whose words they do not like. How we respond to things like this will determine the fate of our country. I believe that.”

Mr Ryvchin said there had been too many “balancing statements” made by leaders in regards to the Middle East conflict, which have “diluted the potency of any such words of condemnation”.

“We’re not talking about the events in the Middle East, we’re not talking about taking a position on the side of the Palestinians or the Israelis, we’re talking about what is happening to our fellow Australians here,” he said.

“Too many people are using their platforms for complicity and silence, or worse, to do harm.”

Mr Ryvchin said the property, which has been cleaned by council workers, was his family home “for many years”.

In vision obtained by The Australian, residents woken by explosions during the attack can be heard telling police they saw “about three youths” light the fire and flee in a “little Japanese car”.

“They came around the block twice, and then they just got out, put fuel and lit it,” one man could be heard telling police.

NSW opposition leader Mark Speakman, Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloan, independent MP for Wentworth Allegra Spender and federal Liberal candidate for Wentworth Ro Knox were among the community leaders who flocked to the scene of the crime this morning.

It comes as negotiators from Israel, Hamas, the US and Qatar officially sign their historic ceasefire deal in Doha, with the truce expected to be implemented on Monday.

This afternoon (AEDT) Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said a “deal to release the hostages” had been reached and that he had ordered his security cabinet to convene later in the day, followed by a government meeting to approve the plan.

‘Animals’

NSW Premier Chris Minns earlier today called the perpetrators behind Sydney’s latest anti-Semitic attack “animals” with “hate-filled hearts” and said the overnight strike was “barbaric”.

“There are horrifying, anti-Semitic, violence attacks,” Mr Minns said.

“I never thought I’d see this kind of naked racism and anti-Semitism repeating itself on Sydney’s streets in such an organised, horrifying manner.

“Incidents of anti-Semitism and violent behaviour are increasing… (and) we have to stand together to condemn it unambiguously and send a clear message to these animals that their actions will not be tolerated.”

Pressure to form anti-Semitism national cabinet

This morning’s attack has become the latest in a number of anti-Semitic incidents in NSW targeting synagogues or notable Jewish suburbs, and comes after Australia’s envoy against anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, called on Mr Albanese to convene a national cabinet to tackle the issue.

Ms Segal told The Australian on Tuesday that Mr Albanese must convene a national cabinet to devise a nationally coherent action plan to combat the crisis, also calling for mandatory custodial sentences for those found to have attacked synagogues.

Speaking this morning after the incident, Mr Albanese labelled the attack an “outrage” but stopped short of backing his envoy’s calls for tougher sentences for anti-Semites.

“This is an outrage, another anti-Semitic attack that is against everything that we stand for,” he said, pointing to charges laid yesterday against a man who allegedly threatened a Jewish organisation.

When asked if legislation should be strengthened, Mr Albanese said that laws “need to be enforced”.

A police officer at the crime scene.

A Dover Heights home was spray painted with red paint.

‘Sickening attack’

Sheri Borman, a Jewish eastern suburbs resident, said she was “sickened” by the latest attack on her community.

She and her husband, Neil, had this morning been investigating fences to build around their property to ensure they are not the next victims of an anti-Semitic attack.

“All we want is to live in peace,” Ms Borman said, believing the attackers “just want the sensation of a news item”.

Eastern suburbs residents Sheri and Neil Borman were ‘sickened’ by the attack.

Mr Borman said his family had discussed moving to Israel, where they believed it could be safer than Sydney.

“It’s been the centre of many dinner table discussions,” he said.

“Everyone in the area is concerned. It’s shocking and scary.”

One of two torched cars in an overnight anti-Semitic attack in Dover Heights is seen being towed away on Friday morning. Picture: Thomas Lisson

Speaking at the scene alongside NSW opposition leader Mark Speakman, Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloan said she felt it was “like Groundhog Day”.

“Our residents, our local community, really shouldn’t be going to bed at night wondering what’s going to happen the next morning,” she said.

It is yet another anti-Semitic attack after a spate of incidents over the past few months in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, where multiple homes and cars have been targeted.

In early January, a man was arrested after allegedly making “gun gestures” toward members of two Sydney synagogues.

Last Friday, Southern Sydney Synagogue was defaced in anti-Semitic graffiti and – 24 hours later – Newtown Synagogue was vandalised with Nazi symbols in a rapid escalation of the crisis from words to criminal acts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: Martin Ollman

Australia's Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Jewish leaders slam ‘brazen assault’

The Zionist Federation of Australia called Friday’s attack “brazen” and an assault “on all Australians”.

“It’s clear we cannot be lulled into thinking yesterday’s ceasefire deal will magically end 15 months of rabid anti-Semitism here in Australia,” chief executive Alon Cassuto said.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the community was “profoundly disturbed and sickened”.

“Images of cars being firebombed and houses being attacked are scenes which we should never see in Sydney,” he said.

“We simply cannot accept this as the new normal and must not become desensitised to these crimes.”

Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, called for stronger laws and a “unified front to root out this menace” before it “spirals further out of control”.

“This is a nightmare turned into reality — a stomach-churning, evil act of unvarnished hatred that defies every ounce of decency we hold dear as Australians,” Dr Abramovich said on Friday morning. “The revelation that the targeted home belongs to a high-profile Jewish leader takes this frontal assault to an even more sinister level.”

The Dover Heights attack comes a day after the Australian Federal Police charged a Western Sydney man with allegedly making death threats against members of a Jewish group, marking the first arrest under its dedicated anti-Semitism task-force.

The AFP announced the arrest on Thursday afternoon, charging a 44-year-old Blacktown man with using a carriage service to make a threat to kill and an additional charge for menace and harassment. Between the two charges there is a maximum 15-year jail penalty.

Police are set to argue he posted death threats to an unspecified Jewish association’s social media.

The federal government has implemented measures amid the rise in anti-Semitic incidents, including an AFP taskforce to “crack down on anti-Semitism, threats and violence” directed at the Jewish community.

The taskforce, known as Special Operation Avalite, has received 124 reports since its inception, including 102 still under investigation, and joins legal reforms aimed at criminalising doxxing and banning the Nazi salute in early 2024.