Man sets door of Australian synagogue on fire with worshippers inside

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An arsonist acceptable occurrence to the doorway of a Melbourne synagogue and forced the congregation to fly connected Friday, 7 months aft criminals destroyed a synagogue successful the aforesaid Australian metropolis with an accelerant-fueled blaze that near a worshipper injured.

A antheral doused the treble beforehand doors of the downtown East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and acceptable it alight astir 8 p.m., Victoria Police said successful a quality merchandise Saturday. Around 20 worshippers sharing a repast to people the Shabbat Jewish time of remainder evacuated done a rear doorway and nary 1 was injured, constabulary said.

Fire fighters extinguished the blaze, which was contained to the beforehand entrance, constabulary said. Photos amusement harm to the beforehand doors.

Police said that the arsonist was seen walking done a adjacent parkland earlier entering the grounds of the synagogue. After mounting the blaze, helium fled the country connected foot, constabulary said. He has not been identified.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said the incidental and the erstwhile onslaught were designed to "traumatize Jewish families."

"Any onslaught connected a spot of worship is an enactment of hate, and immoderate onslaught connected a Jewish spot of worship is an enactment of antisemitism," she said successful a statement.

Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described the occurrence arsenic a superior crime. The department's Counter Terrorism Security Investigation Unit are starring the investigation, constabulary said successful a quality merchandise Saturday, but the substance "has not been deemed a coercion incident."

"I'd similar to marque it precise wide that we bash admit that these crimes are disgusting and abhorrent. But astatine this stage, we are not declaring this a violent incident," Dunstan told reporters.

"In the people of our investigation, we volition analyse the intent and the ideology of the persons involved, oregon person, to find if this is successful information terrorism. At the moment, we are categorizing it arsenic a superior transgression incidental and responding accordingly," she added.

A coercion declaration opens the probe to much resourcing and tin effect successful charges that transportation longer situation sentences.

The synagogue's president, Danny Segal, called for the wider Australian assemblage to basal with his congregation.

"We're present to beryllium successful peace, you know, we're present for everybody to unrecorded unneurotic and we've got a caller commencement successful Australia, specified a beauteous country, and what they're doing is conscionable not just and not right, and arsenic Australians, we should basal up and everybody should basal up," Segal told reporters.

Police accidental they are looking to talk to antheral seen successful area

Victoria Police released a CCTV representation of a antheral they accidental they are funny successful speaking to astir the incident. They did not place the antheral arsenic a suspect.

The unidentified antheral is described arsenic successful his mid-30s, with a beard and agelong hair. He was wearing a acheronian bluish oregon achromatic sweater, achromatic pants and a achromatic beanie. The CCTV photograph shows him carrying a ample achromatic bag.

Protesters harass diners successful Israeli-owned restaurant

Also successful downtown Melbourne connected Friday night, astir 20 masked protesters harassed diners successful an Israeli-owned restaurant. A Miznon edifice model was broken. A 28-year-old pistillate was arrested for hindering police.

Anti-Defamation Commission seat Dvir Abramovich, a starring hostile of antisemitism successful Australia, said diners were terrorized arsenic the radical chanted "Death to the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

"Melbourne, for 1 night, stopped being a harmless spot for Jews," Abramovich said.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece condemned some the synagogue and edifice incidents.

"These transgression acts against a Melbourne synagogue and an Israeli concern are perfectly shocking," Reece said. "All of america arsenic a assemblage request to basal up against it."

Israel's lawman overseas curate Sharren Haskel condemned the attacks, saying it was "yet different reminder of however acold racist, antisemitic hatred crimes person dispersed successful the bosom of Australia," in a connection connected X.

"Israel stands with you," Haskel added.

Victoria Police said its detectives are investigating if determination are immoderate links betwixt the edifice incidental and the synagogue fire. They are besides investigating an "arson onslaught and transgression damage" to a concern successful Greensborough, a suburb of Melbourne.

Antisemitic, Islamaphobic attacks roil Australia

A question of antisemitic attacks person shaken Australia since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas battle connected Israel triggered the warfare successful Gaza.

Jewish and Muslim organizations and hatred researchers person recorded drastic spikes successful hate-fueled incidents connected some groups. The Australian authorities past twelvemonth appointed peculiar envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia successful the community.

Last December, 2 masked men struck the Adass Israel Synagogue successful Melbourne's southeast. They caused extended harm by spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms passim the gathering earlier igniting it. A worshipper sustained insignificant burns.

No charges person been laid for that attack, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed connected antisemitism.

The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes Victoria authorities police, national constabulary and Australia's main home spy agency, said the occurrence was apt a politically-motivated attack.