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Melbourne Synagogue Built by Holocaust Survivors Firebombed; Netanyahu Blames Australia's 'Anti-Israel Position'

Dec 6, 2024, 08:00 AM

A synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, built by Holocaust survivors, was significantly damaged in a suspected arson attack early on Friday morning. The Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea caught fire after masked individuals reportedly knocked on the door before pouring petrol and igniting it. Worshippers were inside the building at the time and were forced to flee; at least one person suffered burn injuries. It took 60 firefighters and 17 firetrucks to extinguish the blaze. Two suspects remain at large. The incident is being investigated by police as a suspicious fire, and authorities are treating it as an act of antisemitism reminiscent of Kristallnacht. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack, labeling it 'clearly an act of anti-Semitism' and assured a 'zero tolerance' approach towards such hatred. The Victorian government pledged $100,000 for the rebuild of the synagogue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the Australian government's recent support for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations, suggesting that Australia may no longer be a 'key ally' of Israel. He linked the attack to what he described as the Australian government's 'extreme anti-Israel position.' Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also expressed concern over rising antisemitism and criticized the government's handling of the Middle East conflict. The Torah scrolls inside the synagogue were reportedly unharmed. The incident has heightened tensions within Australia's Jewish community amid concerns about increasing antisemitic incidents in the country.