Government and Coalition pledge funding

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Both the Albanese government and the Peter Dutton-led opposition have promised millions in funding to help restore the Adass Israel synagogue and community centre following the devastating arson attack in December 2024.

Amid the burnt ruins of the synagogue, Dutton stood alongside Caulfield MP David Southwick, Senator James Paterson, Liberal candidate for Macnamara Benson Saulo and Liberal candidate for Goldstein Tim Wilson on Monday to announce that if the Coalition wins the election it would provide up to $35 million to support the rebuilding of the Adass Israel synagogue and community centre.

A joint media release by Dutton, Paterson, Saulo and Wilson stated, “Now, it is more important than ever that we show solidarity with the Jewish community.

“The rebuilding of the Adass Israel synagogue sends a powerful message to the perpetrators of this abhorrent crime that we will not be silenced or intimidated in the face of this hatred.”

The next day, Macnamara MP Josh Burns stood at the site of the destroyed synagogue to announce that the Albanese government had allocated in the budget $30 million to restore the Adass Israel synagogue and community centre, as well as up to $1.2 million for security upgrades, in addition to the $250,000 that was funded for the replacement and restoration of Torah scrolls.

As the funding is a budget commitment it is not dependent on the Albanese government winning the next election.

A joint media release by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Burns stated, “The Albanese Labor government unequivocally condemns and stands against antisemitism in all its forms.

“The rise of antisemitism is abhorrent and there is no place for the kind of hate speech and attacks we have seen recently in our country. The firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue was a crime of cowardice and prejudice. It was an attempt to threaten and silence the Jewish community, in Melbourne and right around Australia. We won’t stand for that. We are committed to ensuring that this community rebuilds.”

When Burns was asked by a reporter about the timing of the announcement, following the Coalition’s pledge a day earlier, Burns replied, “It was really important that the community knows that this is above politics. “Of course, I welcome the commitment by the leader of the opposition yesterday. I think it’s really important that in moments where minority communities face persecution or violence that we actually stand together.”

Burns added, “It’s already been in the budget, we have been working on this for months.

“I’ve been working with the community on exactly what they need to rebuild, so we wanted to make sure that the community had that certainty, that this actually doesn’t require politics, this is already in the budget and they can plan for the future.”