MELBOURNE, VIC – A brazen arson attack on a historic synagogue in downtown East Melbourne on Friday night forced congregants to flee and has ignited fresh concerns about rising antisemitism across Australia. The incident, which saw the front doors of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation doused in an accelerant and set on fire, occurred just seven months after a similar devastating blaze at another Melbourne synagogue.
Around 8 p.m. on Friday a man approached the double front doors of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, setting them ablaze. Approximately 20 worshippers, who were gathered inside for a Shabbat meal, were forced to evacuate through a rear exit. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Firefighters quickly responded and contained the blaze to the synagogue’s front entrance.
The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, a collaborative unit comprising Victoria state police, federal police, and Australia’s primary domestic intelligence agency, has indicated that the fire was likely a politically-motivated attack.
“Serious Crime,” Police Say, As Investigation Continues
Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described the latest synagogue fire as a serious crime. Police have released a CCTV image of a suspect and are actively investigating.
“I’d like to make it very clear that we do recognize that these crimes are disgusting and abhorrent,” Dunstan told reporters. “But at this stage, we are not declaring this a terrorist incident.”
Dunstan elaborated on the ongoing investigation: “In the course of our investigation, we will examine the intent and the ideology of the persons involved, or person, to determine if this is in fact terrorism. At the moment, we are categorizing it as a serious criminal incident and responding accordingly.” A terrorism declaration would provide the investigation with more resources and could lead to more severe charges and longer prison sentences.
The man police wish to speak with is described as being in his mid-30s, with a beard and long hair, and was seen wearing a dark blue or black jumper, black pants, and a black beanie.
Calls for Community Solidarity
Danny Segal, president of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, urged the broader Australian community to stand in solidarity with his congregation.
“We’re here to be in peace, you know, we’re here for everybody to live together and we’ve got a fresh start in Australia, such a beautiful country, and what they’re doing is just not fair and not right, and as Australians, we should stand up and everybody should stand up,” Segal passionately told reporters.
Related Incidents Escalate Concerns
The synagogue fire was not an isolated incident on Friday night in Melbourne. Around the same time, approximately 20 masked protesters gathered outside Miznon, an Israeli-owned restaurant in downtown Melbourne, harassing diners and breaking a window. A 28-year-old woman was arrested for hindering police in connection with this incident.
Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission and a prominent opponent of antisemitism in Australia, stated that diners were “terrorized” as the group chanted “Death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. “Melbourne, for one night, stopped being a safe place for Jews,” Abramovich asserted.
Further deepening concerns, Victoria Police revealed on Saturday that they are investigating a third incident that occurred overnight in Greensborough, in Melbourne’s north-east. At approximately 4:30 a.m., a group of offenders set fire to three cars, one of which was destroyed. A wall near the vehicles was also spray-painted. Commander Dunstan stated that while she could not yet disclose the content of the spray paint, the business had “been subject to some antisemitic activity” in the past 12 months.
While investigators are not yet aware of any direct links between the three incidents, Dunstan noted they all had “inferences of antisemitism.” She added, “Our investigators across all three incidents are liaising with our counter-terrorism command to understand whether there are any links. At this stage we are not aware of any links, but we are not discounting them.”
Dunstan emphasized that Victoria Police is providing support to the Jewish community and is treating all three incidents “incredibly seriously.” “There’s no place in Australia for hatred or discrimination of any kind, and we condemn it,” she stated.
Echoes of Past Attacks and National Condemnation
The recent wave of antisemitic attacks has been a growing concern in Australia since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation attack comes seven months after a devastating fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, located in the city’s south. In that incident, two of the synagogue’s three buildings were destroyed in an early-morning blaze, also forcing congregants to flee. While no charges have been laid in that case, counter-terrorism police have conducted multiple property raids as part of the investigation.
The incidents have drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders. Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece condemned both the synagogue and restaurant incidents, stating, “These criminal acts against a Melbourne synagogue and an Israeli business are absolutely shocking. All of us as a community need to stand up against it.”
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan echoed these sentiments, stating that both incidents were designed to “traumatize Jewish families.” She added, “Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism.” Premier Allan also called the synagogue attack “disgraceful” and “all the more abhorrent” for being carried out on Shabbat.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the synagogue attack, affirming that antisemitism has “no place in Australia” and that those responsible for “these shocking acts must face the full force of the law.” He pledged, “My government will provide all necessary support toward this effort.” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly issued a joint statement, asserting, “Antisemitism is evil and has no place in our society.” Opposition leader Sussan Ley described both incidents as “horrifying” and warned, “It is now impossible to ignore the growing crisis of antisemitism in Australia.”
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, stated that these events mark “a return to the antisemitic terror of the summer months” and are “clear evidence that the antisemitism crisis is not only continuing but getting worse.”
