Victoria Police have announced that they are searching for three people suspected of setting fire to the Adas Israel synagogue in Melbourne over the weekend, in what authorities have now classified as an act of terrorism.
Victoria Police Chief Superintendent Shane Patton told a news conference that police have “three suspects in this case, and police are pursuing them,” adding that the fire is now considered a “terrorist attack.”
It comes after Premier Anthony Albanese said it was his personal view that the attack was an act of terrorism.
The fire, which caused extensive damage to two buildings of the synagogue, has shocked worshippers at Adas, some of whom had attended morning prayers as usual to find their synagogue severely damaged by the blaze.
“Violence, intimidation and the destruction of a place of worship is something we should never see in Australia,” Albanese said.
“It put people’s lives at risk and it was clearly intended to create fear in the community.
The terrorists used an accelerant and deployed it to maximise the damage that could be done.
Albanese added: “I have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. This violence, intimidation and destruction in a place of worship is outrageous.
“The people involved must be caught and faced with the full force of the law.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the attack was “absolutely abhorrent”.
“This terrorist event was neither expected nor foreseeable,” he added.
“Everyone knew that anti-Semitism, hatred, vilification and racism were lurking beneath the ashes. But what we saw on our campuses, what we saw online, what we saw against people of Jewish faith in the community was completely unacceptable and should be utterly condemned in our country.
“To see a synagogue, a place of worship, set ablaze is unwelcome and has absolutely no place in our country,” he continued.
Firefighters arrived at Adass around 4am and found the temple fully engulfed in flames. Crews battled the blaze for about an hour to bring it under control.
“The damage inside is quite extensive but crews are now going inside to check for hot spots,” said one firefighter.
“It was a shock in every sense,” added Adass councillor Benjamin Klein. “I didn’t think this would happen to us here in Melbourne. We are a quiet community, we focus on ourselves, we don’t bother anyone. We wish everyone the best.”
Police have appealed to locals who may have CCTV or mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward. Their names will not be released to protect them from retaliation from the terrorists who committed this crime.
Detective Inspector Chris Murray, head of Victoria Police’s arson and explosives squad, told a news conference that the attack was deliberate.
He said they would also be increasing patrols in the local area.
The security group has issued an alert and will be deploying additional resources to the scene.
Australian Jewish Executive Council President Daniel Aghion described the day as a tragic day for Australians, Melbourne and the Jewish community.
“We have been warning about this all year since October 7,” he said.
Before October 7 we never thought this would come to Australia and now it has happened.”
He said he and the Jewish community were not surprised by the firebombing.
“We knew this was coming,” Aghion said. “There is something sick in our community that this has happened.”
McNamara MP Josh Burns said the incident was an escalation and those responsible should feel the full weight of the law.
“Two people were injured, one seriously burned. Our biggest concern is that someone has been killed and this has to stop,” he said.
“The federal police have already been contacted to offer whatever assistance they can … this is going to be a team effort. I hope that whoever did this is brought to justice, we will just make sure we get that,” Burns said.
Caulfield MP David Southwick has called on Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Premier Anthony Albanese to outline what measures 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’re going to do about this,” Southwick said.
Jacinta Allan has pledged financial assistance from the Victorian government to help rebuild the synagogue.
“The rebuilding effort starts today, and that’s why I’m pledging $100,000,” she told a news conference. “It’s going to be a long journey, but the Victorian government and the Victorian community will be with the Adass Israel synagogue community every step of the way.”
Allan said she had discussed the incident with Victoria Police Chief Superintendent Shane Patton, and there would 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 places that are important to the Jewish community. They’ll be in public spaces as well, supporting the local community,” she said.
Allan also said the new anti-defamation bill that has just been introduced in state parliament makes it very clear that hate and defamation should be in the Crimes Act.
“It should be a crime, and it will give Victoria the strongest powers in the country to crack down on and attack this vile behaviour, and send a very clear message that there is no place in Victoria… for this kind of hateful behaviour,” she said.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) said it stands in solidarity with the victims and their families during this painful time, and prays for their speedy and full recovery.
JCCV chief executive Naomi Levin said: “The Jewish community has been warning of an unacceptable rise in antisemitism for over a year. We hoped this would never happen, but today our fears were realised.”
“The firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne appears to be yet another shocking escalation of the hatred we have seen brazenly displayed on the streets of Melbourne every week for over a year,” said Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler. “No one should be surprised; this violent attack is a direct result of words turning into action. Left unchecked, Jew-hatred puts all Australians at risk.
“Enough is enough, this is a stain on our nation. It is time for all levels of government to turn their words into action to stamp out this Jew-hatred.”
The Rabbinical Association of Australia said it was “deeply dismayed” by the arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne, particularly in light of events this week in Sydney where protesters forced a public meeting at a synagogue to close, and the firebombing of Jewish vehicles in Woollahra last week.
“Unfortunately, this was not unexpected, given the hostile environment that was allowed to grow due to the weak responses of the state and federal governments. Their inaction is a failure of leadership,” the Rabbinical Association of Australia said in a statement.
“To our Jewish community, we urge you to strengthen our unity and commitment to each other and to Israel. Let us engage in the work of the commandments, which have always been our spiritual protector in times of adversity,” the statement said.
Rabbi Moshe Kahn, president of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV), said they stood in full solidarity with the Adass Israel community.
“This abhorrent 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 that all Australians hold dear,” he said.
The incident follows last week’s attack on the private home of a Melbourne rabbi, marking what Rabbi Kahn described as a worrying escalation in anti-Semitic violence.
“The Rabbinical Council of Victoria is deeply concerned by this trend and is calling for immediate and decisive action from the authorities,” said Rabbi Kahn.
“This horrific attack is a reminder of some of the darkest episodes in human history,” said Joel Burney, executive director of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). “Attacking a synagogue is not only a violation of a sacred place, it is the ultimate expression of hatred for the entire Jewish community. The desecration of sacred sites also undermines our social fabric and cohesion, as well as the foundation of our liberal, multicultural, democratic society.
“This is just the latest incident in an unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism that has swept this country since the attack on 7 October last year, including vile chants, slurs, assaults, calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, and protests at synagogues, including on Wednesday night in Sydney.”
The government’s anti-Semitism envoy, Gillian Segal, said the attack was designed to intimidate Australia’s Jewish community.
“We must be clear: today’s attack is not just an attack on the Jewish community, it is an attack on our shared values ​​of safety, inclusion and respect,” Segal said. “Similar incidents, such as the vandalism of cars in Woollahra less than a month ago, are further evidence of a pattern of antisemitic behaviour across the country that has emerged from an environment that has tolerated antisemitism for far too long.” She called on federal and state governments to take immediate action to adopt and legislate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. “We call on our governments to take strong action against those who perpetrate violence and destroy social cohesion in our communities,” said Maureen Barton, president of Progressive Judaism Victoria. “This hatred is acceptable because it is un-Australian,” said Federation of Progressive Judaism co-chairs Danny Hochberg and Larry Lockshin. “We call on all levels of government to act forcefully and courageously, to stamp out antisemitism and protect our proud multicultural community from further erosion.” “Sadly, we have come to expect such anti-Semitic acts in Europe, but to see them happening here and now in Australia is shocking to the core. We call on the government and police to take these physical threats against our communities seriously and to work to stop this for all of us,” said Melbourne-based World Union for Progressive Judaism President Phyllis Dorey. “It seems that apart from the rhetorical condemnation, there has been little or no enforcement of the law,” said Australian Reform Zionist Association (ARZA) President Ayal Marek. “The Prime Minister has acknowledged that this latest attack is an act of anti-Semitism, but it is not clear what is actually being done to deter current and future perpetrators from committing such violent and intimidating acts. ARZA stands firmly with the Jewish community and with the Australian community at large.”