Police declare firebombing of synagogue a terrorist attack

Victorian police say they are hunting for three people suspected of torching the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne over the weekend, which authorities have now designated as a terrorist act.

Police have “three suspects in that matter, who we are pursuing,” Victorian police chief commissioner Shane Patton told a news conference, adding that the fire is now considered a “terrorist attack.”

It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his personal view was that the attack was an act of terror.

A major fire swept through the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne’s Ripponlea on Friday morning.

The fire, which caused substantial damage to two buildings of the synagogue, left Adass congregants shocked, some turning up as usual for morning prayers to find their shule badly gutted by the fire.

“The violence, intimidation and destruction of a place of worship is something that we should never see in Australia,” said Albanese.

“It’s risked lives and it’s clearly aimed at creating fear in the community.

“There are two persons of interest who were there. What was witnessed was them using accelerant and spreading it with a broom clearly designed to maximise the damage that could occur.

“I have zero tolerance for antisemitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage.

“The people involved must be caught and face the full force of the law.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the attack was “absolutely abhorrent”.

“I want to pretend that this wasn’t expected or that it couldn’t be predicted,” said Dutton.

“Everybody knew that antisemitism, that hatred and that vilification, that racism, was lurking beneath the surface. But what we’ve seen on our university campuses, what we’ve seen online, what we’ve seen against people of Jewish faith in the community has been completely and utterly unacceptable, and it should be totally condemned in our country.

“To see the firebombing of a synagogue, a place of worship, is something that is not welcome and has no place in our country whatsoever.”

Firefighters arrived at Adass around 4am and found the shule fully ablaze. Fire crews battled the blaze for almost an hour to bring it under control.

A firefighter told Nine News, “The damage inside is quite significant but crews are now going inside checking for hot spots.”

Adass board member Benjamin Klein added, “It was a shock, an absolute shock. I didn’t think it would happen here in Melbourne to us. We’re a quiet community, we have our heads down, we don’t bother anyone. We wish everybody well.”

Police arrived on the scene early in the morning and believe a group may have broken into the building in the early hours of today.

They have appealed to local residents who might have CCTV or mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward.

Detective Inspector Chris Murray, head of the arson and explosive squad of the Victoria Police told a media conference it’s believed the attack was deliberate although they are now trying to work out the motive.

He said they will be increasing patrols in the local area as well.

The CSG has issued an alert and will be deploying additional resources at the scene throughout the day.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion described it as a tragic day for the Australian, Melbourne and the Jewish communities.

“We have been warning of the risk of this all year since 7 October. Prior to 7 October we never thought this would come to Australia and now it has,” he said

He said he and the Jewish community are not surprised at the firebombing.

“We’ve known this has been coming. There’s something sick in our society that this has occurred,” Aghion said.

McNamara MP Josh Burns said the incident is an escalation and those responsible should feel the full weight of the law.

“Two people were injured, one with serious burns. Our big nervousness is that someone gets killed and this needs to stop,” he said

Burns said, “The Federal Police has already made contact to offer any assistance they can … this will be a team effort. And I hope that whoever did this will be brought to justice, we’ll just check that we got that”.

The Member for Caulfield, David Southwick, called on Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan and Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese to outline what actions they will take to keep members of the public safe.

“It’s the first job of any leader to keep people safe. We need to know what they are going to do about this,” Southwick said.

Jacinta Allan has pledged financial assistance from the Victorian government to the rebuilding of the synagogue.

“That rebuilding effort starts today, and that is why I’m pledging $100,000.  It will be a long [journey], but the Victorian Government and the Victorian community will be with the Addas Israel Synagogue community every step of the way,” she told a media conference.

Allan said she’s discussed what’s happened with the Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, and there will be an increased police presence on the streets in the area over the next two weeks.

“They’ll be around synagogues. They’ll be around important places for the Jewish community. They’ll also be in public spaces as well, providing support to the local community,” she said.

Allan also said the new anti-vilification law that’s just being introduced in state parliament states very clearly that hate and vilification should be in the Crimes Act.

“It should be a crime, and it will give Victoria the strongest powers in the country to clamp down and attack this vicious behaviour, [and] sends a very, very clear message that there is no place in Victoria … for this sort of hateful behaviour,” she said.

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) says it stands in solidarity with the victims and their families during this distressing time, praying for their swift and full recovery.

JCCV CEO Naomi Levin said, “The Jewish community has been warning about an unacceptable rise in antisemitism for more than a year. We hoped it would never come to this, but today, our fears have been realised.”

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler stated, “The firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne appears to be another shocking escalation of the hate that we have seen brazenly displayed on the streets of Melbourne every week for over a year. No one should be surprised; this violent attack is a direct consequence of words turning into actions. Jew-hatred, left unchecked, endangers all Australians.

“Enough is enough, this is a stain on our nation. It’s time for all levels of government to turn their words into actions to stamp out this Jew-hatred.”

The Rabbinical Association of Australasia says it is deeply appalled by the arson attack on the Adass Yisroel Synagogue in Melbourne, especially in light of events this week in Sydney where protestors forced a lockdown after a public meeting in a synagogue, and the firebombing of Jewish vehicles in Woollahra last week.

The RAA said in a statement “Sadly, it is not unexpected, given the hostile environment that has been allowed to grow by weak responses by both state and federal governments. Their inaction is a failure of leadership”.

“To our Jewish community, we urge you to strengthen our unity and commitment to one another and to Israel. Let us engage in acts of Mitzvot, which have always served as our spiritual protector in times of adversity” the statement said.

Rabbi Moshe Kahn, President of the Rabbinic Council of Victoria (RCV) stated that they stand in full solidarity with the Adass Israel community

“This vile attack on a sacred place of worship is an attack not only on the Jewish community but on the values of peace, tolerance, and respect cherished by all Australians” he said.

This incident comes on the heels of last week’s attack on the personal home of a Melbourne Rabbi, marking what Rabbi Kahn describes as an alarming escalation in antisemitic violence.

“The RCV is gravely concerned about this trend and demands immediate and decisive action from authorities” Rabbi Kahn said.

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) executive manager Joel Burnie said, “This appalling attack recalls some of the darkest episodes of human history. Attacking a synagogue does not only profane a sacred place, it is the ultimate expression of hatred for the entire Jewish community. Desecrating sacred spaces also undermines our social fabric and cohesion, as well as the foundation of our liberal democratic and multicultural society.

“This is just the latest incident in the unprecedented wave of antisemitism that has swept this country since the October 7 attack last year, including disgraceful chants, doxxing, assaults, demands for the destruction of the Jewish state, and protests at synagogues, including on Wednesday night in Sydney.”

The government’s antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, said the attack was designed to intimidate Australia’s Jewish community.

“We must be clear: today’s attack represents not just an assault on the Jewish community but also an attack on our shared values of safety, inclusivity, and respect. Similar incidents, such as the vandalism of cars in Woollahra less than a month ago, are further evidence of a pattern of nationwide antisemitic behaviour that has grown from an environment, which has tolerated antisemitism for too long” Segal said.

She has called on federal and state governments to take immediate action to adopt and legislate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.

Progressive Judaism Victoria president Maureen Barten said, “We implore our governments to take strong action against perpetrators of violence and the destruction of social cohesion in our communities.”

Union for Progressive Judaism co-presidents Danny Hochberg and Larry Lockshin stated, “These hate crimes are as unacceptable as they are un-Australian. We call on all levels of government to act with strength and courage, to stamp out antisemitism, and protect our proud multicultural society from corroding further.”

World Union for Progressive Judaism chair Phyllis Dorey of Melbourne added, “Sadly we have come to expect such antisemitic acts in Europe, but for it to be happening here and now in Australia, shakes us to our core. We call on the government and police to take seriously these physical threats against our communities and act to stop this for all our sakes.”

Australian Reform Zionist Association (ARZA) president Ayal Marek stated, “It seems that apart from rhetorical condemnation, law enforcement was minimal to non-existent. The Prime Minister recognised that this recent attack is an act of antisemitism, yet it is not clear what is actually being done to deter current and future perpetrators from conducting such acts of violence and intimidation. ARZA stands strong with the Jewish community and indeed with the Australian community at large.”

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