"The firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue was a vile act of cruelty against a tight-knit community. It was a crime of cowardice and prejudice. Above all, it was an act of terrorism," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote in an opinion piece published Wednesday in the Sydney Morning Herald after visiting the site, which was burned in an arson attack last Friday.
Albanese has faced criticism, including from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for what critics say is his mishandling of rising antisemitism in Australia, a trend that has surged since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre.
"This was a fire fueled by antisemitism and stoked by hatred. It was a grotesque violation of a place of solace and sanctuary. It has added to the Jewish Australian community’s already profound pain and sorrow," Albanese wrote.
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"Among the losses so acutely felt is the burning of the sacred, handwritten Torah scrolls. My government will provide funding for the restoration of the salvageable scrolls and the replacement of those that are beyond repair," he continued.
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Religious artifacts salvaged from the burned Melbourne synagogue
(Photo: Asanka Ratnayake / Getty Images)
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Torah scroll salvaged from of a Melbourne synagogue torched in an antisemitic attack
(Photo: Tania Lee / AFP)
Australian news reporting the arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne
Reflecting on Melbourne’s history, he added: "During the darkest years of the 20th century, Melbourne offered Jewish people both sanctuary and a future. We should all take pride as Australians that this great city is home to the highest per capita population of Holocaust survivors outside Israel. It is a story of a community that has made so many extraordinary contributions to our country, a community that has distinguished itself across generations with acts of philanthropy, humanity, and generosity. It is also a community in which so many families have passed down stories of unimaginable loss and suffering, as well as extraordinary survival in the face of overwhelming odds."
He concluded his piece by invoking the words "never again": "I say to the community: You are hurting, but you are braver than the cowards that perpetrated this evil. You are stronger than the hatred that spurred them on. And you are not alone. We will see those who struck against these sacred walls brought to justice."