City's new race wars
AN outbreak of racial violence is deeply dividing Sydney, with authorities alarmed by a dramatic surge in attacks.
The worst have been directed at Jewish Australians in the wake of the Middle East war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with the slogan "Kill Jews" spray-painted around Sydney.
The Daily Telegraph has learned attacks at Sydney University have forced Jewish students to hide religious skullcaps under baseball caps after several were spat on and assaulted.
There is evidence tensions have increased since last December's Cronulla race riots.
Reports to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board have jumped and interest in groups supporting a return to a White Australia policy has skyrocketed.
"It is quite significant that we are getting more reports," Anti-Discrimination board president Stepan Kerkyasharian said.
Police have confirmed they are patrolling synagogues and mosques in Sydney's hot spots to contain the tension caused by the Middle East war.
Officers are closely watching a Parramatta synagogue after two attacks, including one in which cement was thrown through windows near a house where the rabbi's wife was giving birth.
The fire brigade has issued an alert
to send twice as many fire trucks as usual to fires at synagogues and Jewish schools.
Greg Weinstein, from the Australian Union of Jewish Students, said the attacks on Sydney University students were particularly worrying.
He said he believed left-wing groups on campus were responsible.
"Jewish students who previously would have walked around campus comfortably are having to wear baseball caps because they don't feel safe.
"That should never be acceptable - not just for Jewish students, but for students of any faith."
Mr Kerkyasharian said there had been an alarming trend with people of Arabic background who were Muslims being branded terrorists.
"There is this idea now that anyone who is of Arabic background is associated with terrorists," he said.
Sydney Muslim leaders say they are also coming under attack.
Community leader Keysar Trad said he had been bombarded with race-hate emails.
Mr Trad acknowledged the attacks against Jews and synagogues, saying it was worrying that people had been unable to separate the religion from Israel's actions.
The nationalist party Australia First has had 22,000 hits on its website since the Cronulla riots - a tenfold increase.
This is really quite scary, there's been an increase in anti-semitism in Australia. As a member of AUJS (Australian Union of Jewish Students) i've seen the radicalisation from the ultra left wing groups like the socialist alliance, thank god that my campus has stringent rules about political groups.