Two men were seen standing outside after having poured ‘petrol on the front of the synagogue and then lit it on fire,’ according to a local report
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The Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, was heavily damaged in an arson attack on Friday.
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The fire was reported at 4:10 a.m. local time in the suburban area of Ripponlea, the Victoria Police Center told JNS.
According to the local authorities, Fire Rescue Victoria responded to a call of a synagogue on fire. “Firefighters arrived on scene to find the single-story, 30 by 20 meter building fully involved in fire. The response was escalated to a third alarm with crews wearing breathing apparatus attacking the fire,” they said.
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Media reports say several men were inside the synagogue at the time. According to a report on Channel 7 Melbourne, the men heard banging at the door and when they went to answer it, saw two men standing there after having poured “petrol on the front of the synagogue and then lit it on fire.”
Arson detectives have yet to identify a motive, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed antisemitism.
“This is an outrage. The violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is something that we should never see in Australia,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“I think an attack on a synagogue is an act of antisemitism by definition,” Albanese added.
Attacks against Jews and Muslims have increased in Australia since the Israel-Hamas conflict started in October last year.
An investigation is underway, the Victoria Police Center told JNS; police are asking witnesses to provide dash cam or other information.
“An absolute travesty. This is the realization of the worst fears of many in the Jewish community,” James Paterson, a senator in Victoria, said on X.
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Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, posted on X: “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.”
Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the broader Australian community needed to condemn the arson attack.
“I’ve been getting phone calls this morning from the Hindu community, from other people, from good people who are prepared to stand up and that’s my message for this morning to Australia, to the good people of Australia,” Aghion told reporters.
“Don’t leave the Jewish people behind,” he added.
The Chassidic synagogue was the subject of a 2016 documentary film called “Strictly Jewish: The Secret World of Adass Israel.”
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According to a synagogue listing page from the St. Kilda Historical Society, this is not the synagogue’s first arson attack. The synagogue was severely damaged in an incident in January 1995 and was rebuilt.
— With additional reporting by The Associated Press
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