MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An arsonist ignited a fire at the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation on Friday night, forcing approximately 20 worshippers to evacuate during a Shabbat meal. This incident comes just seven months after a previous attack in the same city left a congregation member injured. According to a police statement released on Saturday, the fire was started around 8 p.m. when a man doused the synagogue's double front doors with an accelerant and set it alight. Fortunately, the fire was quickly extinguished by firefighters and contained to the entrance, with no injuries reported.
Antisemitic incidents have surged across Australia since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an assault on Israel, igniting the ongoing war in Gaza. Both Jewish and Muslim organizations, along with researchers studying hate crimes, have noted significant increases in incidents motivated by hate directed at both communities. In response, the Australian government appointed special envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia within the community.
In a related incident last December, two masked men attacked the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne's southeast. They caused substantial damage by spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms and igniting it, leading to minor burns for one worshipper. As of now, no charges have been issued for that incident, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attributed to antisemitism. The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, comprising state and federal police along with Australia's domestic spy agency, suggested the recent fire may also be politically motivated.
Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan labeled the synagogue fire a serious crime and indicated that they are currently investigating the incident without designating it as a terrorist act. During the investigation, police will assess the intentions and ideologies of the individual involved in order to determine whether terrorism charges are warranted. Declaring the incident as terrorism would allow for greater resources to be allocated to the investigation and could lead to longer prison sentences for the perpetrator.
Danny Segal, the president of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, urged the broader Australian community to stand with his congregation against such acts of hatred. He expressed a desire for peace and coexistence, emphasizing that the actions targeting the synagogue are unjust and contrary to Australian values. Segal stated, "We’re here to be in peace, you know, we’re here for everybody to live together... as Australians, we should stand up."
On the same night, another alarming incident occurred when a gathering of around 20 masked protesters targeted diners at Miznon, an Israeli-owned restaurant in downtown Melbourne. The group harassed patrons while chanting slogans against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and a window was broken during the confrontation. A 28-year-old woman was arrested for obstructing law enforcement. Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, condemned the protest, asserting that it terrorized diners and made them feel unsafe.
Melbourne's Lord Mayor, Nicholas Reece, denounced both the synagogue fire and the subsequent restaurant incident, labeling them as shocking criminal acts. He stressed the importance of community solidarity against such behavior. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan echoed this sentiment, stating that attacks on places of worship constitute acts of hate, particularly noting that assaults on Jewish places of worship signify antisemitism.
