A 34-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a deliberately lit fire at a synagogue in East Melbourne during Shabbat, in what police are investigating as part of a series of alleged antisemitic attacks across the city.
The Toongabbie, New South Wales man was taken into custody by Victoria Police in Melbourne’s CBD around 8.15pm on Saturday, a day after the incident. He was interviewed by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Security Investigation Unit and charged with reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, criminal damage by fire, and possessing a controlled weapon.
The man is expected to appear before the Bail and Remand Court today.
Police allege the man entered the grounds of a synagogue on Albert Street in East Melbourne around 8pm on Friday, poured a flammable liquid on the front door, and set it alight before fleeing on foot. Approximately 20 people were inside the synagogue observing Shabbat at the time. They self-evacuated through a rear exit, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters contained and extinguished the blaze, which caused damage to the entrance of the building.
Victoria Police say detectives are continuing to assess the suspect’s “intent and ideology” to determine whether the arson attack meets the threshold for terrorism.
The arrest comes amid growing concern over a spate of antisemitic incidents across Melbourne on the same night.
Police are investigating possible links to two other events: a group of around 20 people storming Israeli restaurant Miznon on Hardware Lane while chanting “Death to the IDF,” and an arson attack in Greensborough, where three cars were set alight and vandalised near a business previously targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters.
Speaking on Saturday, Acting Commander Zorka Dunstan said, “We understand the concern and the fear these incidents create in our communities. These are very serious matters, and we are treating them as such.”
The incidents have prompted swift condemnation from national and state leaders.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the synagogue attack as “appalling” and said, “Antisemitism has no place in Australian society.”
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan called the firebombing “abhorrent,” stating: “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.”
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said: “Those responsible cannot be reasoned with or appeased. They must be confronted with the full force of the law.”
Federal Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly issued a joint statement condemning the violence, saying Australia “must remain a country where people of all faiths can feel safe.”
The attacks come amid a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in Australia, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, where Jewish institutions and individuals have been targeted in recent months by arson, vandalism, and threats.
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