Worshippers were forced to evacuate an Australian synagogue after it was set on fire in an “act of hate” denounced by the prime minister.
Firefighters were called to Melbourne’s Adass Israel synagogue soon after 04:00 local time on Friday (17:00 GMT Thursday), and when they arrived, the building was totally in flames.
Community leaders told local media that “a few people” were inside for morning prayers and reported seeing firebombs thrown.
One person was hurt, and the fire caused significant damage.
Police said they believe the fire was deliberately started, but they are keeping an “open mind” about the motivation.
In a statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the incident in Ripponlea, in the city’s southeast, was “clearly aimed at creating fear in the community.”.
“This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage,” he wrote.
“I have zero tolerance for antisemitism.”
He added that he had been briefed by the Australian Federal Police, which will assist authorities in the state of Victoria.
“The people involved must be caught and face the full force of the law.”
However, Det. Insp. Chris Murray claimed a witness told them that two people wearing masks appeared to have distributed accelerant inside the building.
He urged anyone who witnessed the incident or who has CCTV or dashcam footage from the surrounding area to contact police.
A worshipper and synagogue board member, Benjamin Klein, told The Age newspaper that people inside “heard banging on the door and the window, and some liquids came through that were lit.”.
“The whole thing took off pretty quickly,” he said.
A worshipper who was inside at the time, Yumi Friedman, added that a window had been smashed, sending “glass flying.”.
Mr. Friedman told reporters that his hand was injured on a doorknob when he attempted to return to the synagogue to battle the fire.
Det Insp Murray, who was challenged by a furious worshipper while addressing the press, stated that police would dedicate significant resources to the investigation and increase patrols in the area.
“We’re going to do our best to make sure that they can return, as they should, to their local synagogues, doing what is absolutely Australian—that is, to be able to worship without fear.”
“None of the Jewish community is surprised. We’ve known this has been coming,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion stated.
