Story perspectives

Sydney Jewish Schools Hire Armed Guards Amid Antisemitism Surge

5/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Sydney Jewish schools have hired armed guards and say campuses now look like prisons after December 14 Bondi Beach attack.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry recorded over 2,000 antisemitic incidents after the Oct. 7 Gaza war, up from fewer than 500 the previous year.
7,500 submissions, from New South Wales, have been received, prompting witnesses such as Sheina Gutnick to say they feel constant fear and consider emigrating unless antisemitism ends.

History

Historical Context

Argentina’s 1992 suicide car bomb that destroyed the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 and wounding 242, was claimed by the Islamic Jihad Organization linked to Hezbollah and Iran. The attack heightened security concerns for Jewish sites. In Australia, schools such as Sydney’s Moriah College employ armed guards, a move supported by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s call for stricter hate-crime laws.

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Story summary

Sydney Jewish schools have hired armed guards and say campuses now look like prisons after December 14 Bondi Beach attack.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry recorded over 2,000 antisemitic incidents after the Oct. 7 Gaza war, up from fewer than 500 the previous year.
7,500 submissions, from New South Wales, have been received, prompting witnesses such as Sheina Gutnick to say they feel constant fear and consider emigrating unless antisemitism ends.

1 / 2