Australia's Jewish community is on high alert following a cluster of anti-Israeli protests and reports of anti-Semitic threats.
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Security around Jewish schools, synagogues and a planned vigil in Sydney on Wednesday evening has been tightened due to fears of potential violence.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry spokesman Alex Ryvchin said the community was in constant contact with police, the government and private security advisors.
"I want to encourage my people to be proud, to identify as Jews and to deepen their Jewishness at a time when it's under attack," he said.
"But I know that many in my community worry about the safety of their children and their loved-ones."
More than 1000 people are dead after the Islamist group Hamas attacked Israeli towns from the Palestinian territories on Saturday, prompting retaliatory strikes that killed hundreds more.
A pro-Palestine rally on Monday night, where some attendees chanted anti-Jewish rhetoric and lit flares, further fuelled tensions as police probe a handful of threats made against Jewish citizens in Sydney and Melbourne.
A security firm run by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies that patrols community facilities across Sydney has raised its threat level to heightened, believing a terrorist attack could be possible.
Community Security Group Victoria similarly raised its threat level to severe and promised to boost its presence at Jewish schools.
The group said it is aware of a heightened level of fear and anxiety in the community but called for calm.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon acknowledged the anxiety within the Jewish community but stressed the force had increased patrols and there was no immediate risk.
"We would be encouraging parents of students getting into those schools to send their children to school, knowing that the police will be supporting them," he said.
Acting Commissioner David Hudson said police would increase their presence around synagogues, Jewish schools and hospitals to ensure people were kept safe.
"We don't have any information of direct threats at this stage," he said.
Pressed by the opposition in the NSW parliament on Wednesday, Police Minister Yasmin Catley apologised to anyone who felt unsafe.
But she declined to apologise to Mark Spiro, who was arrested purportedly for his own safety at Monday's rally due to his possession of an Israeli flag.
The increased police presence around the Town Hall for a planned protest this Sunday was not enough to make his community feel safe, Mr Spiro told reporters at parliament.
"(The) chants of 'gas the Jews' and the burning of the Israeli flag, those images haven't been seen since Nazi Europe, and they have left a deep implant on the community," he said.
Mr Ryvchin advised members of the Jewish community to be alert and careful.
"This isn't a time to cower and be fearful, we're Australians for God's sake," he said.
"This is a free country and we should be free to walk the streets and be who we are without fear."
Australian Associated Press
