Two men rip down Israel posters at Bondi Beach

More than 230 blue and white towels, the colours of the Israeli flag, were draped over the railings at Bondi Beach early on Thursday morning along with photographs of the hostages believed to be still in Gaza, and posters, saying “Kidnapped”.

The grassroots vigil, organised by young Australian Jews to remember Israeli civilians kidnapped by terror group Hamas, descended into a shouting match after two men tore down posters showing the faces of kidnapped men, women and children.

“Go away, go away, I’ll call the police,” one of the vigil attendees says to the two men.

“What are you doing here?”

The Australian Jewish Association posted the video to its social media channels.

AJA CEO Robert Gregory, who attended the vigil but was not at the beach at the time of the incident, called the behaviour “unAustralian”.

“The fact that some people would tear down pictures of kidnapped children, it’s a depraved way of thinking,” he said.

A NSW police spokesman said officers from the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command had commenced an investigation into the incident.

“Following reports of the alleged incident at Bondi Beach earlier today and as investigations continue, anyone with info which might help police are asked to contact Waverly Police Station or Crimestoppers,” he said.

The alleged incident follows an outburst of anti-Semitism at a pro-Palestine rally at the Sydney Opera House in early October, during which a group of men chanted “f**k the Jews” and “gas the Jews”.

Community tensions have flared following the outbreak of war in Israel and Gaza.

Six former Australian Prime Minister signed an open letter on October 30 calling on Australians to respect the country’s multicultural character.

“Whatever is happening elsewhere in the world, there is no place in our country for racial or religious hatred,” the letter states.

“And there is no more tenaciously evil race hatred than anti-Semitism.”