Melbourne was rocked by a series of antisemitic attacks on Friday night, including arson at a synagogue and an aggressive protest at an Israeli restaurant, prompting strong condemnation from officials and Jewish community leaders.
Around 8 p.m., a man poured flammable liquid on the front door of a synagogue on Albert Street in East Melbourne and set it alight while about 20 people were inside observing Shabbat, Victoria Police said. The fire was quickly extinguished, and no injuries were reported.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack and reiterated that antisemitism has no place in Australian society.
Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly also issued a joint statement condemning the attack.
The police have released the photo of a suspect in relation to this arson attack.
Nearby, on Hardware Lane, about 20 protesters stormed the Israeli restaurant Miznon, chanting slogans including “Death to the IDF,” according to reports.
Speaking to media on Saturday, Acting Commander Victoria Police, Zorka Dunstan, said police were also investigating a third incident early Saturday morning in Greensborough, where three cars were set on fire and spray-painted near a business previously targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters.
Victoria Police’s Security Investigation Unit, part of its counter-terrorism command, is probing all three incidents. Authorities have yet to declare whether the events meet the threshold for a terrorism classification.
The attacks come amid rising concerns over antisemitism in Australia, with Sydney and Melbourne witnessing a sharp increase in hate crimes targeting Jewish communities since late last year. These include synagogue arsons, vandalism, and Nazi hate symbol Hakenkreuz defacing buildings and vehicles.
Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan condemned the synagogue attack as “abhorrent,” especially given it occurred on Shabbat with families and children present. “Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate. Any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism,” she said on X.
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, also condemned the incidents. “Those responsible cannot be reasoned with or appeased. They must be confronted with the full force of the law,” he wrote.
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