Adas Israel was caught spreading venom inside the synagogue
Melbourne: Two masked people were seen distributing accelerant inside the Adass Israel Synagogue prior to it catching fire early Friday morning, and police in Melbourne are looking for them.
Jewish organizations and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have strongly denounced the alleged anti-Semitic fire attack that wounded one worshipper. CNN said.
At the southern Melbourne synagogue, where nighttime prayers are common, the fire started at approximately four in the morning. The fire quickly spread throughout the structure, forcing worshippers to escape via a rear door.
“Some liquid was thrown inside and was lit ablaze,” synagogue board member Benjamin Klein told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) after there was a hammering on the door. The synagogue’s few occupants fled via the rear entrance. One of them was torched. Klein went on to explain that “the whole place took alight pretty quickly.”
The assault was intentional, according to Victoria Police, and the Arson and Explosives Squad is looking into it. The synagogue seems to have been “targeted,” according to Detective Inspector Chris Murray, who declined to classify the incident as terrorism, saying, “We’re not ruling anything in or out.”
Additionally, CNN stated that he was “personally worried” about the pattern of increasing anti-Semitic acts.
The incident was severely denounced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who described it as an attack on Australia’s ideals of safety and religious freedom. “This violence and intimidation at a place of worship is an outrage,” he said. “This attack has risked lives and is clearly aimed at creating fear in the community.”
Discussions over the concerning increase of anti-Semitic behavior in Australia have been rekindled by the occurrence. Jewish organizations blamed the rise on increased tensions after Israel’s battle with Hamas in Gaza began on October 7, 2023.
Despite warnings about rising antisemitism, Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory said he was “outraged but not at all surprised” by the incident. The Jewish Council of Australia’s executive director, Sarah Schwartz, called the fire “an act of disgusting violence,” adding that “no one should be unsafe in a place of worship.”
This is not the first instance of this kind in the region. Josh Burns, a Jewish federal lawmaker, had his office arson-attacked in July, and two people were prosecuted. A special envoy to combat antisemitism and a special envoy on social cohesion have been formed by Albanese’s administration in reaction to these events in order to resolve the widening gap between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian factions in Australia, CNN reported.
Anyone with knowledge of the assault on the Adass Israel Synagogue is being urged to come forward by authorities.
