Arsonist Attacks Melbourne Synagogue, Police Investigate as Community Condemns Hate
Arsonist Attacks Melbourne Synagogue, Police Investigate as Community Condemns Hate
Melbourne, Australia – Worshippers at a downtown Melbourne synagogue were forced to evacuate Friday night after an arsonist set fire to the building’s front doors. The incident, which occurred at the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, saw approximately 20 congregants sharing a Shabbat meal escape through a rear exit, with no injuries reported.
Victoria Police confirmed the attack took place around 8 p.m. on Friday, July 5, when a man doused the double front doors with an accelerant and ignited them. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, which caused damage limited to the entrance.
The department’s Counter Terrorism Security Investigation Unit is leading the probe into what Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described as a “serious criminal incident.” While the investigation is ongoing, authorities have not yet deemed it a terrorism incident, though they will examine the perpetrator’s intent and ideology.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan stated that the incident, along with a previous synagogue attack in Melbourne seven months prior, was designed to “traumatize Jewish families,” emphasizing that “any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism.” Rabbi Dovid Gutnick and synagogue president Danny Segal called for community solidarity.
Police have released CCTV images of a man they wish to speak with in connection with the fire. He is described as being in his mid-30s, with a beard and long hair, and was seen wearing dark clothing and carrying a large black bag.
The synagogue fire occurred on the same night that masked protesters harassed diners at an Israeli-owned restaurant in downtown Melbourne, breaking a window. Police are investigating potential links between the two incidents, which come amidst a significant rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks across Australia since October 2023.
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