Melbourne Synagogue Arson Forces Evacuation, Condemned as “Act of Hate”

Individuals attending an Australian synagogue had to evacuate after the building was deliberately set ablaze, an incident the prime minister denounced as an “act of hate”. Emergency services responded to a call at Melbourne’s Adass Israel synagogue shortly after 04:00 local time on Friday (17:00 GMT Thursday), discovering the structure engulfed in flames upon their arrival. According to statements made by community leaders to local news outlets, “a few people” were present inside for morning prayers when the event occurred, and they reported witnessing firebombs being thrown. The incident resulted in one injury and significant damage from the fire. Law enforcement officials state their belief that the fire was intentionally started, though they are maintaining an “open mind” regarding the motivation behind it. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement asserting that the occurrence in Ripponlea, located in the city’s south-east, was “clearly aimed at creating fear in the community”. “This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage,” he wrote. “I have zero tolerance for antisemitism.” He further mentioned that the Australian Federal Police had briefed him and would offer assistance to authorities within the state of Victoria. “The people involved must be caught and face the full force of the law.” Victoria Police indicated that the precise origin of the fire remained undetermined, and an arson chemist was scheduled to inspect the location. Nevertheless, Detective Inspector Chris Murray stated that a witness informed them that two masked individuals seemingly dispersed accelerant within the structure. “We believe it was deliberate. We believe it has been targeted,” he added. “What we don’t know is why.” He urged anyone who might have observed the event, or who possesses CCTV or dashcam recordings from the vicinity, to get in touch with law enforcement. Benjamin Klein, a member of the synagogue’s board, informed The Age newspaper that individuals inside “heard banging on the door and the window, and some liquids came through which were lit”. “The whole thing took off pretty quickly,” he said. Yumi Friedman, a man present inside during the incident, further noted that a window had been shattered, causing “glass flying”. Mr. Friedman informed reporters that his hand sustained burns from a doorknob as he attempted to re-enter the synagogue to combat the fire. Detective Inspector Murray – who encountered an upset worshipper during his press briefing – stated that police intend to allocate substantial resources to the inquiry and enhance patrols in the surrounding vicinity. “We’re going to do our best to make sure that they can return, as they should, to their local synagogues, doing what is absolutely Australian – that is to be able to worship without fear.” Leaders within the Jewish community have expressed their conviction that this assault represents an escalation of a recently documented rise in antisemitism across Australia. “None of the Jewish community is surprised. We’ve known this has been coming,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.