Cyclist carrying an Israeli flag is suddenly set upon as tensions explode in Melbourne

A cyclist flying an Israeli flag was involved in a fight with a woman and two men in the heart of Melbourne as tensions rise over the conflict in the Middle East.

Cyclist Ronen Martin-Cohen said he was accosted by a woman who tried to grab his Israeli flag before two other men attacked him on the Chapel St cafe-restaurant street in Melbourne’s south-east about 8pm on Sunday.

Footage of the incident shows a woman chasing Mr Martin-Cohen and grabbing the flag on the back of his bike, leaving the pair struggling for control of the bike.

Two men then run at Mr Martin-Cohen as he kicks at one of them.

The fight continues in the middle of the road until bystanders break up the road, leaving Mr Martin-Cohen curled up on the asphalt.

“It was a lady who approached me first,” Mr Martin-Cohen told Nine news.

‘Started to argue ‘why do you support Israel?’.

‘I was pushed to the ground and then they mainly kicked me in the chest and back.’

Police told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Monday that they were investigating the incident and that none of those involved required medical treatment.

“Hate-based or discriminatory behavior has no place in our community and Victoria Police will not tolerate anti-Semitic or Islamophobic incidents.”

‘We take all reports of threats and/or violence seriously, and community members are strongly encouraged to report any incidents of concern.’

It is the latest in a series of clashes in the Victorian capital between pro-Palestine supporters and Israeli supporters, sparked by the bloody fighting in Gaza between Israeli forces and Hamas.

Police are also investigating a shocking incident captured on video on Saturday evening, in which a Toyota HiLux ute apparently turned onto a footpath and narrowly missed Israeli supporters.

Footage of the incident in Caulfield, east Melbourne, was shared by Jewish lawyer Menachem Vorchheimer on Monday.

Mr Martin-Cohen tries to fend off a man who aggressively ran towards him in the middle of Melbourne’s Chapel St on Sunday evening

The short clip shows a man and a woman jumping off the side of the road as the vehicle veers toward them and mounts the curb where a group of protesters held Israeli flags on Friday.

A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed to Ny Breaking Australia that it had received reports of the incident on Saturday.

“Officers were advised that a HiLux car drove halfway onto the pavement on Hawthorn Road, Caulfield and struck a man and a woman at around 7.05pm on November 10,” he said.

‘A 46-year-old Armadale man and a 55-year-old woman from St. Kilda East, who were on the footpath at the time, moved out of the way of the HiLux to avoid being hit before the vehicle drove away.

‘The pair were unharmed during the incident.

‘Anyone who witnessed the incident, via CCTV or dashcam footage, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.’

In the wake of ugly scuffles between Palestinian protesters and police outside a synagogue in Caulfield that held a service on Friday evening, there have been calls from the government and advocates for calm and peace.

Shocking footage has captured the moment a Toyota HiLux ute apparently drove onto a footpath and narrowly missed Israeli supporters in Melbourne

Police have announced they will increase patrols in the city’s eastern suburbs, which are home to a sizeable Jewish community.

“We don’t want to see a repeat of Friday night,” Victorian Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said.

Opposition leader John Pesutto said the government had been caught “flat-footed” by the escalating situation.

“I am not satisfied with what the government is doing,” he said.

Islamic Council of Victoria spokesperson Adel Salman told Nine News that Palestinian protesters had been the subject of abuse with them accused ‘of supporting terrorism’.

“That creates a really unsafe environment for many Muslims,” he said.

The chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, Dvir Abramovich, also called for cooler heads, but warned that anti-Semitic incidents would increase.

“Let’s ensure that Melbourne, a tolerant pluralistic city, is not torn apart by these tensions,” he said.