MELBOURNE, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The Australian Security Intelligence Organization says extra police protection will be provided to synagogues in coming weeks because of terrorist threats.
The organization said Victoria's 50,000 Jews may be targets as the Jewish New Year approaches, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported.
"The Jewish community has known for some time now that we are one of the leading security risks in Australia, our institutions, for international terrorists," said Michael Lipshutz, president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria.
"There are people who are scared to go to synagogue, there are people who are scared to go to functions with a large group of Jews."
A spokesman for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry told Channel 9 Australia intelligence about planned terrorist attacks on Jewish buildings in Melbourne and Sydney began emerging after the arrest of alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the Herald Sun reported.
