Jewish Teen Assaulted at Australian Scouts Camp in Suspected Antisemitic Attack

An 18-year-old Jewish Australian was allegedly punched in the face at a Scouts camp near Melbourne in what authorities are investigating as a suspected antisemitic attack.

Victoria Police said the incident began Saturday afternoon in Lardner, southeast of Melbourne, when Joshua Levy was approached by an unidentified male believed to be 16 or 17 years old. According to police and the Anti-Defamation Commission, the suspect verbally abused Levy for wearing a yarmulke and carrying an Israeli flag.

Later that evening, during a crowded camp event attended by approximately 300 people, the same individual allegedly confronted Levy again and struck him three times in the face.

Levy was examined by a doctor at the scene. Reports indicate he was later restricted from leaving the area due to concerns that he could face further assault from associates of the suspect.

Levy and his father filed a report the following day at Caulfield Police Station. The investigation remains ongoing, and no arrests have been announced.

The Anti-Defamation Commission said the attack left Levy shaken.

“Scared and sad that I’m not free to express my culture and religion freely,” the organization quoted him as saying. “I always heard about antisemitic attacks, but never thought it would happen to me.”

Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, strongly condemned the alleged assault and called on authorities to pursue the matter fully.

“This is not 1930s Germany. This is Australia in 2026,” Abramovich said. “We have reached a point where too many people in this country believe that anyone who is associated with Israel, who wears a yarmulke, who stands openly as a Jew, is fair game for violence.”

Victoria Police confirmed they are continuing to gather information and assess the circumstances of both encounters. Due to the ongoing investigation, authorities have not released details regarding potential charges.

The incident adds to growing concerns within Australia’s Jewish community about rising antisemitism and the safety of visibly Jewish individuals in public spaces.

Jewish communities around the world have long stood firm in the belief that religious expression should never invite intimidation or violence. Wearing a yarmulke or carrying an Israeli flag is not provocation it is identity.

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