Two men, aged 22 and 25, were arrested in Sydney after pointing a weapon at Jewish worshippers leaving Shabbat prayers at the Chabad center in Double Bay, according to Israeli media. Police later said the weapon was a fake gun, but the suspects remain in custody and face charges in the coming days.
Two men, aged 22 and 25, were arrested in Sydney on Sunday after pointing a weapon at Jewish worshippers leaving Chabad Double Bay, with police later confirming the weapon was a replica. This marks the second incident at the same location in as many days, following a Shabbat morning threat that led to arrests later on Sunday.
The Zioneer first reported on Saturday (July 4) at 23:38 Jerusalem that two men had been arrested after allegedly pointing a gun at worshippers, citing Israeli journalist Mendi Rizel. By that same time, police had confirmed the suspects' ages and that an imitation pistol was seized. A subsequent update stated that Australian authorities had officially filed charges against the two suspects. The thread's latest antecedent, also timestamped Saturday 23:38 Jerusalem, reported that security personnel—including volunteers from Sydney's Jewish community and New South Wales Police—responded to the incident, with charges filed on Sunday.
As The Zioneer reported Saturday, the Chabad Double Bay center is roughly a kilometer from Bondi Beach, where a deadly stabbing attack at a Chabad Hanukkah party occurred seven months ago. The arrests also come amid a broader pattern of incidents at Chabad institutions globally, including a suspected antisemitic attack at Chabad Brooklyn headquarters on July 2 and a fatal shooting near a Chabad center in Montreal on June 22, as previously reported by The Zioneer.
Open questions: It remains unclear whether Sunday's two suspects are the same individuals arrested in Saturday's reported incident, or if this is a separate but related event. The precise relationship between the two developments has not been clarified by authorities.
4 developments
- DevelopingPolice arrest two drivers caught on video pulling a gun on Haredi protesters
- DevelopingHaredi protesters at Jerusalem demonstration claim driver pulled a gun
- ConfirmedMan enters Chabad Brooklyn headquarters with knife and bat in suspected antisemitic attack
- DevelopingSecurity forces arrest Palestinians disguised as Jews at Maccabim Crossing
Source and signal
- Internal intake