Victims of Iranian terror describe trauma

The acting president of Melbourne’s Adass Israel synagogue has described the revelation of Iranian involvement in the December firebombing as “traumatic”.

Benjamin Klein said this confirms the community’s worst fears about state-sponsored terrorism.

Speaking to the media at the burnt-out Ripponlea synagogue following news of Iran’s role in the attack, he said authorities had previously assured the community there was no evidence of foreign involvement.

“In our many meetings with Victoria Police and Federal Police, we have asked the question, if they believe state sponsored terrorism [is] involved in this, [and] the response always was very much that they had no evidence of it,” Klein said.

“Now there seems to be some strong evidence from ASIO to the government and Victoria Police and Federal Police. So it seems at the moment that they’ve uncovered something which maybe in the back of our heads we’ve thought about in the past.”

Klein described the nine months without their synagogue as “quite horrendous, scary, traumatic” for the community, particularly with the Jewish High Holidays approaching.

“Not to have our synagogue through those high holidays is devastating for the community,” he said.

“Throughout the year, we keep on getting reminded whether it’s celebrating a personal or family event, Bar Mitzvah, or whatever it is, not to have the synagogue is horrendous.”

Klein expressed concern about potential retaliation following strong government action, including the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador.

“It could. Yeah, that definitely is stressful,” he said when asked about retaliation fears.

Klein said the targeting of Australian Jews because of overseas events represented something “which we haven’t seen since pre-Holocaust days.”

“Go around the community and listen to people’s conversations around tables and something they’re talking about [is] do we have to move away? And are we safe here and growing up in the city; we never had such things on our minds before,” he said.

The acting resident emphasised that while they had received strong support from both Jewish and wider Australian communities, Adass’s typical preference is to “fly under the radar” rather than attract media attention.

“Typical Australians don’t like this. Don’t want this. It is a fringe element which is creating havoc and causing a lot of distraction and devastation,” Klein said.

“The typical Jewish person, and non-Jewish person very much, doesn’t want or needs to live like this in Australia.”

Meanwhile, Judith Lewis from Lewis’ Continental Kitchen said her business has been left “traumatised” after being forced to relocate following the firebombing of their Bondi location.

Lewis revealed they received no government support despite the devastating impact, with their first official contact coming only when Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke called them on Tuesday before the Prime Minister’s announcement.

“When the Adass Israel synagogue was firebombed, Albanese went there. When the preschool in Maroubra was firebombed, Albanese went there. No one came to us,” Lewis said.