A teenage boy in Sydney has been arrested and charged for allegedly attacking a Jewish man at knifepoint on a train, the latest flashpoint in a nationwide surge of antisemitic incidents that has rattled Australia’s Jewish community.

New South Wales Police confirmed that a 16-year-old was taken into custody over the assault, in which two assailants targeted a 66-year-old Jewish man. According to police reports, the suspects shouted antisemitic abuse before attempting to stab the victim as he approached the train doors. The man was treated on-site for minor injuries and later filed a formal complaint.

Authorities arrested the teenager in Padstow, a suburb in Sydney’s southwest, and charged him with intent to commit an indictable offense, common assault, making public threats based on religion, and intimidation to cause fear of physical harm. He was denied bail and arraigned in a children’s court. Police say the search for a second suspect is ongoing.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry reported more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents between October 2023 and September 2024, up from fewer than 500 the year before. Physical assaults jumped nearly six-fold, from 11 to 65. Jewish institutions across the country have faced waves of vandalism, including repeated attacks on shuls and cases of suspected arson.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)