Two Men Arrested After Pointing Fake Gun at Sydney Jewish Worshippers

Two men, aged 22 and 25, were arrested in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday after pointing what appeared to be a firearm at worshippers leaving the Chabad center in the Double Bay neighborhood after Shabbat prayers. Officers who responded to the scene found that the weapon was a replica, and both suspects were taken into custody.

Witnesses outside the synagogue called emergency services after seeing two men inside a vehicle aiming what looked like a gun at the Jewish house of worship. More than a dozen officers located the vehicle in a nearby neighborhood, surrounded it, and detained both occupants. A search of the vehicle confirmed that the weapon was a replica, described in some reports as a water gun.

The two suspects, identified by Australian media as French nationals, were charged with possession of a fake weapon and threatening the public. Police called on anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has relevant dashcam or security camera footage, to come forward. The investigation is ongoing.

Rabbi Yanky Berger of the local community notified members after Shabbat ended, writing that the replica weapon had been aimed at security personnel from the CSG, the Jewish community security organization. “The police have informed us that the two suspects, French nationals, have been charged with several offenses. It has also been confirmed that the weapon turned out to be a fake gun,” he wrote. He added: “I want to reassure everyone. The CSG security team and New South Wales Police responded quickly and professionally. There is no ongoing threat to the community, and we will continue to update you if there are further developments. We thank the CSG volunteers and New South Wales Police for their swift and professional response.”

The incident came roughly seven months after one of the worst antisemitic attacks in Australian history, when a father and son who identified with the ISIS terrorist organization killed 15 people and wounded around 40 others at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach. Among those murdered was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a local Chabad emissary. The Double Bay Chabad center, where Saturday’s incident took place, is located a short distance from the site of that attack.

The Bondi Beach massacre prompted sharp public criticism of law enforcement. Rabbi Yosef Eichenblatt, whose home was near the scene, said at the time that “the officers did nothing. They hid from the terrorists instead of shooting.” The criticism sparked a broader debate in Australia over the adequacy of police responses to antisemitic violence.

Saturday’s arrest comes amid a sustained rise in antisemitic incidents across Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has faced mounting pressure to act more decisively, though the government’s response has drawn widespread criticism as insufficient. A new round of hearings by the royal commission of inquiry established following the Bondi Beach massacre is scheduled to open in Sydney on July 27.

No one was physically harmed in Saturday’s incident.