An 18-year-old Australian wearing a yarmulke and Israeli flag was allegedly assaulted at a Scouts camp on Saturday by a teen who accused Israel of “murdering children.”

Around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Joshua Levy was walking in the park at the event in Lardner, southeast of Melbourne, when a teenage boy approached him, according to Victoria Police and the Anti-Defamation Commission.

Levy told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the teenager asked him, “Why are you wearing that?” and accused Israel of “murdering children.”

Levy said he responded, “Because I support Israel.”

Later that night at a party at the event, the teenager allegedly approached Levy again and struck him three times in the face.

“I get a tap on my shoulder, and I feel knuckles on my face,” Levy said of the assault at the crowded event.

An 18-year-old has been bashed in an antisemitic attack while at a camp east of Melbourne. Police have laid charges, but the victim says he is willing to sit down with his attacker to explain why crimes like this need to stop. @KristyMayr7 pic.twitter.com/tdObRaMPui — 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) February 23, 2026

An 18-year-old has been bashed in an antisemitic attack while at a camp east of Melbourne. Police have laid charges, but the victim says he is willing to sit down with his attacker to explain why crimes like this need to stop. @KristyMayr7 pic.twitter.com/tdObRaMPui

— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) February 23, 2026

“I was really just terrified at that moment, and I ran out, and I was shaking. I ran out, and the first thing that came to mind was saying to a leader that I got punched for being Jewish,” he said.

Levy said he was checked by a doctor on site for his minor injuries and told that he could not leave the area due to apparent fears of further assault from the alleged perpetrator’s friends.

The incident left Levy “scared and sad that I’m not free to express my culture and religion freely,” the Australian Anti-Defamation Commission quoted him as saying. “I always heard about antisemitic attacks, but never thought it would happen to me.”

Levy and his father reported the incident at Caulfield Police Station on Sunday.

An Australian police spokesperson said that a 17-year-old had been interviewed and was expected to be summoned to appear before a children’s court.

Police believe it was a targeted attack, saying, “Victoria Police understand incidents of antisemitism can leave communities feeling targeted, threatened, and vulnerable. There is absolutely no place in our society for antisemitic, racist, or hate-based behavior, and such activity will not be tolerated.”

According to The Australian, Scouts Victoria said the organization was aware of an incident and said “one of the youth involved was sent home immediately.”

“The young person removed from camp is remorseful for his actions and has apologized in writing to everyone involved,” executive manager Jon McGregor said. “The safety and well-being of all young people in our care is our highest priority. Scouts Victoria is an inclusive organization that does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or violence.”

Anti-Defamation Commission Chair Dvir Abramovich condemned the assault, calling on police to pursue the case with the full weight of the law.

“This is not 1930s Germany. This is Australia in 2026,” Abramovich said in a statement. “Bondi was supposed to be a wake-up call. We have reached a point where too many people in this county believe that anyone who is associated with Israel, who wears a yarmulke, who stands openly as a Jew, is fair game for violence or worse.”

Saturday’s assault was the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks in Australia — the Jewish community has long complained that authorities have not taken sufficient action on the matter.

Antisemitic activity and rhetoric have skyrocketed after Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023, and Australia frequently sees anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests.

In December, 15 people were killed and dozens were injured in a terror attack at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in Sydney.

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antisemitism in Australia

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