College principal Roy Steinman wrote that he had concerns there would be a negative response from "some sectors" of society to reports that two former students had been wounded while fighting for the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in Gaza.

The incident in Sydney is perceived by local Jewish groups as the latest in a string of anti-Semitic behaviour sparked by the outbreak of fighting in Gaza.

Three weeks ago, a former IDF soldier wearing a t-shirt with Hebrew writing on it was bashed in Elsternwick in what Victoria Police say was a racially motivated attack. Zachary Gomo, 28, was targeted by two young men who he said shouted "Jewish dog" and "Gaza" in Arabic as they started punching him.

"What really did disturb me was the reaction of some who basicallysuggest that I was the aggressor because of the T-shirt I was wearing, because it had Hebrew writing on it," he said.

"It's come to a point where a Jewish person can be attacked on the street and be held accountable for the attack. I'm not certain that same discourse would exist for other ethnic, religious and cultural groups."

On the weekend, a visiting Israeli rabbi was also accosted in a shopping centre in Perth. He and his assistant were verbally assaulted, threatened and spat on by up to six youths. The incident came less than two weeks after the words "Zionist scum" were scrawled on a Jewish school in that state.

Jewish groups say they are being inundated with hate mail and are concerned about the emergence of Swastikas and