Worshipers were forced to flee after a Melbourne synagogue was set ablaze early Friday in an arson attack that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Anthony called an “act of hate.”
More than 60 firefighters were called to the Adas Israel Synagogue in Victoria's state capital just after 4am local time on Friday (4pm Thursday Japan time), and by the time they arrived they found the building fully ablaze. discovered.
Local media confirmed that people were inside for morning prayers at the time and reported seeing incendiary devices thrown by masked assailants. One person was injured and the fire caused extensive damage.
Synagogue Director Benjamin Klein said era Newspaper worshipers “heard banging on doors and windows, and liquid came in and caught fire.”
“It all started very quickly,” he said.
Sacred books and furniture were destroyed, he said, but the community vowed to “rebuild.”
Members of the congregation formed a human chain to remove religious items, including Torah scrolls, from the damaged synagogue. One of these was brought to Australia from Germany during World War II. year The newspaper further pointed out that:
Klein said the synagogue had increased security over the past 12 months due to safety concerns, but declined to provide further details.
“We are aware that two people were seen spraying some kind of liquid and spreading it with a broom in order to start a fire. We need to examine the CCTV footage,” Prime Minister Albanese said.
“Attacking a place of worship is an attack on Australian values. Attacking a synagogue is an act of anti-Semitism. This is an attack on Australians who must practice their faith in peace and security.” It's an attack on rights.”
The fires occurred amid Israel's war against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip and amid a surge in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia.
Police officers on patrol in front of the Adas Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, on December 6, 2024. An arson attack on Melbourne's Adas Israel Synagogue in the early hours of Friday left the building engulfed in flames, forcing congregants to evacuate. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
More than 2,000 anti-Semitic incidents were tallied in the 12 months to September 30, an increase of 316 per cent on the same period last year, according to a report released by the Australian Jewish Executive Council on Sunday.
As reported by Breitbart News, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said that Australia's disappointing “upside-down” attitude towards Israel at the United Nations could lead to further terrorist attacks in universities and urban centres. He warned that it would lead to anti-Semitic riots.
