Australia synagogue arson: 34-year-old man charged for setting Melbourne Jewish temple on fire during Shabbat dinner

In Australia, a 34-year-old man has been arrested and charged for allegedly setting fire to a synagogue while worshippers were inside, said the police on Sunday (Jul 6). The suspected arsonist is yet to be identified. As per reports, he set the front door of a busy Melbourne synagogue while around 20 worshippers were inside sharing a Shabbat dinner. The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism and has drawn strong condemnation from the prime ministers of Australia and Israel.

Australia Synagogue arson: What happened?

In what is being described as the latest disturbing act in a spate of antisemitic violence in Australia, on Friday night, during the Jewish day of rest, the suspect set fire to the door of the synagogue. At the time of the incident, at least 20 people were inside. Thankfully, the worshippers escaped unscathed through the synagogue's rear exit. The fire was quickly extinguished by emergency services, and no injuries were reported.

Police in Victoria state have charged the suspect with reckless conduct endangering life and other serious offences. Authorities are now investigating whether the incident meets the legal threshold to be classified as an act of terrorism. While the suspect is yet to be named, he has been identified as a resident of Toongabbie, a suburb of Sydney.

"Detectives will continue to examine the intent and ideology of the person charged to determine if the incident is in fact terrorism," Victoria Police said in a statement.

A series of antisemitic incidents in one night

Alarmingly, Friday's synagogue arson was only one of three antisemitic incidents reported in Melbourne that night. However, police are yet to determine if the incidents are connected. In a separate incident, a group of about 20 protesters stormed an Israeli-owned restaurant, reportedly smashing a window, flipping tables, and shouting slogans at diners, causing chaos during dinner service.

The same day, cars were torched and daubed with antisemitic graffiti in another part of the city, according to local media.

A 'reprehensible' violent assault: Netanyahu

The attack triggered swift condemnation from both Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

PM Albanese on Saturday labelled the synagogue attack a "cowardly" act of violence, warning of its potentially deadly consequences. "And the fact that people were having a peaceful dinner, and (were) disrupted by this act of violence, could have had catastrophic consequences," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went further, calling the arson "reprehensible" and denouncing the restaurant incident as a "violent assault" by "pro-Palestinian rioters."

"We demand that the Australian government take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future," he said.

Rising antisemitism in Australia

The attacks have reignited concerns over a recent surge in antisemitic violence in Australia, particularly in Jewish neighbourhoods in Melbourne and Sydney, reports AFP. In December, a separate synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed by masked arsonists, prompting the federal government to launch a task force targeting antisemitism.