“To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values. To attack a synagogue is an act of antisemitism, is attacking the right that all Australians should have to practice their faith in peace and security,” said Anthony Albanese.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned as an antisemitic attack an arson that extensively damaged a synagogue in Melbourne on Friday.
Police are searching for two masked people seen spreading accelerant through the Adass Israel Synagogue.
The fire, which caused substantial damage to two buildings of the synagogue, left Adass congregants shocked, some turning up as usual for morning prayers to find their shule badly gutted by the fire, reported the Australian Jewish News.
“To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values. To attack a synagogue is an act of antisemitism, is attacking the right that all Australians should have to practice their faith in peace and security,” said Prime Minister Albanese.
“The violence, intimidation and destruction of a place of worship is something that we should never see in Australia,” he added.
“It’s risked lives and it’s clearly aimed at creating fear in the community.There are two persons of interest who were there. What was witnessed was them using accelerant and spreading it with a broom clearly designed to maximise the damage that could occur,’’ Albanese said.
“I have zero tolerance for antisemitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage. The people involved must be caught and face the full force of the law.”
Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the broader Australian community needed to condemn the arson attack.
“I’ve been getting phone calls this morning from the Hindu community, from other people, from good people who are prepared to stand up and that’s my message for this morning to Australia, to the good people of Australia,” Aghion told reporters.
“Don’t leave the Jewish people behind. Don’t isolate us. Don’t leave us exposed to the risk of attacks upon our religious institutions, our communal institutions. Stand with us. Stand against this hate. And stand against this kind of horrendous attack which should not occur on Australian soil,” he added.
The Rabbinical Association of Australasia says it is deeply appalled by the arson attack on the Adass Yisroel Synagogue in Melbourne, especially in light of events this week in Sydney where protestors forced a lockdown after a public meeting in a synagogue, and the firebombing of Jewish vehicles last week.
According to media reports, the blaze in the Adass Israel Synagogue is an escalation in targeted attacks in Australia since the war began between Israel and Hamas last year. Cars and buildings have been vandalized and torched around Australia in protests inspired by the war.