Israel’s president has told the Australian prime minister that “firm and forceful” action is needed after a Victorian synagogue was bombed early Friday morning.
President Isaac Herzog said he spoke to Anthony Albanese on Friday evening and strongly condemned the “heinous” attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne.
Police are still hunting the two masked arsonists who allegedly broke in, poured accelerant and set fire to the synagogue around 4 a.m. as worshipers gathered for prayers. The fire destroyed two of the three buildings and left two people with minor injuries.
Mr Albanese said the joint Counter-Terrorism Task Force is investigating the fire, which follows the rift between Australia and the United States over a recent UN vote to end Israel’s “unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as soon as possible” to demand.
President Herzog called these types of attacks ‘unbearable’.
“I now spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and expressed my strong condemnation of the horrific arson of the Adass Israel Synagogue,” he wrote on X.
“Following the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israel on and since October 7, 2023, there has been an unbearable wave of attacks on Jewish communities in Australia and around the world.
“I pointed out to the Prime Minister that this rise and the increasingly serious anti-Semitic attacks on the Jewish community required firm and strong action, and that this was a message that needed to be heard clearly from Australia’s leaders.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he spoke with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday, where he condemned the arson of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne.
Two masked men who are still at large are said to have set fire to the building around 4am on Friday morning as worshipers gathered for prayer
President Herzog said attacks like this have no place in society and said he is confident Victorian authorities will find those responsible
President Herzog also thanked Mr Albanese and said he trusted local authorities to find those responsible for the attack.
‘I said thank you [Mr Albanese] for his continued efforts to combat anti-Semitism, and expressed my confidence that local law enforcement authorities would do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice,” President Herzog wrote.
Other political and religious leaders have also joined in unanimous condemnation of the synagogue, one of Melbourne’s largest and built by Holocaust survivors, as security around Jewish communities is increased.
The Jewish community has lived in fear for the past 14 months, said Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jews.
“This is just evidence of that fear for us,” he said.
“This is a tragic day for the Australian Jewish community.”
Victorian Senator James Paterson said police and the government needed to increase security to reassure worshipers.
“There will be other synagogues and synagogues in the area tonight thinking about Friday night prayers and wondering if they can do it safely,” he said.
The fire destroyed two of the three buildings and left two people with minor injuries
The Adass Israel Synagogue is one of Melbourne’s largest and was originally built by Holocaust survivors
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed police patrols will be increased from Friday until next week as she pledged $100,000 towards the synagogue’s reconstruction.
“This is a place of worship built by Holocaust survivors who fled Europe’s most evil regime and chose Melbourne as their home,” she told reporters on Friday afternoon.
“An attack on a place of worship is an attack on all religious beliefs.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiment, saying: “Attacking a synagogue is an act of anti-Semitism.”
He confirmed he had spoken to the head of the Australian Federal Police to ensure all requested resources were available for the Victoria Police investigation.
Religious organisations, including the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, denounced the “disturbing” incident and shared their sympathies with the Jewish community.
“There is absolutely no justification for such acts of aggression against any community, regardless of the circumstances,” President Rateb Jneid said.
Human rights commissioners condemned the attack ‘in the strongest possible terms’.
“We are deeply concerned that this destructive and violent act will cause fear and intimidation and exacerbate the trauma for the Jewish community,” Racial Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said.
Officers were told that two men were in the synagogue, where the masked attackers poured liquid on the floor.
Police believe the attack was targeted and have renewed an appeal for information.
Detective Inspector Chris Murray said police were not ruling out terrorism as a motive as they searched for the suspected arsonists.
“We’re throwing everything at it,” he told reporters outside the synagogue on Friday.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen pledged to increase police patrols from Friday until next week and pledged $100,000 to rebuild the synagogue
Founder of Yumi’s Dips, Yumi Friedman, was inside and described a “big hit on the door with a sledgehammer” before fleeing to call for help.
When he returned, he found the synagogue completely on fire.
“I touched the door, it was hot and I burned my hand, so I didn’t go in,” he told AAP.
Fellow congregant Ruvi Herzogtold told AAP: “It’s devastating, right to the heart of the community, to go and know you’re not safe.”
Glen Eira is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Victoria with a population of 25,585, according to state government data.