Two serious anti-Semitic incidents occurred last night (Friday) in the city of Melbourne, Australia: In the first incident, an Adat Israel synagogue in the east of the city was set on fire during Shabbat prayers.
According to the local police statement, an unknown person poured flammable material on the entrance door of the building and set it on fire, while about 20 worshippers were inside.
Firefighters were called to the scene and brought the fire under control. There were no injuries, but the building was damaged.
Authorities said the suspect in the incident is a white man, about 30 years old, who has not yet been located.
The Premier of the state of Victoria, Jacinta Allen, strongly condemned the arson: "Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and when it comes to a synagogue, it is anti-Semitism.".
About an hour later, a branch of Israeli chef Eyal Shani's "Hamazonun" restaurant in central Melbourne was vandalized. Eyewitnesses reported that about 20 masked pro-Palestinian protesters broke into the place, chanted slogans - including "Death to the IDF", smashed windows, threw chairs and food - and caused panic among diners.
Local police arrived quickly and arrested several suspects, one of them for obstructing a police officer.
This morning, dozens showed up to a demonstration of support in front of the restaurant, waving Israeli flags. Chef Shani shared the photos on social media and wrote: "A demonstration of support in front of the Melbourne buffet.".
Officials in the Jewish community in Australia said this is a worrying escalation.
According to data from community organizations, since the start of fighting between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, there has been a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents across Australia – including arson, threats, vandalism of property and the distribution of inflammatory content.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned: "I view with great severity the anti-Semitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne, which included an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in the city and a violent attack on an Israeli restaurant by pro-Palestinian rioters.
""The despicable anti-Semitic attacks, including chants of "Death to the IDF" and attempts to damage a place of worship, are serious hate crimes that must be rooted out.".
""The State of Israel will continue to stand by the Jewish community in Australia, and we demand that the Australian government take every step to bring the rioters to justice and prevent such attacks in the future.".
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