Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday linked the arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue to what he described as anti-Israel sentiment within Australia's current government.
He criticized the Labor government for its support of a recent UN resolution urging Israel to "end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" and for denying entry to a former Israeli minister. "Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government," Netanyahu wrote on X, calling the act antisemitic and urging Australian authorities to take decisive action to prevent future incidents.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack on the Adass Israel synagogue, describing it as antisemitic and an affront to Australian values. “To attack a place of worship is to attack Australian values. To attack a synagogue is an act of antisemitism,” he said.
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He emphasized the danger posed to lives and the fear inflicted on the Jewish community, adding that such acts contradict the foundations of Australian society. Albanese also confirmed that the anti-terrorism unit is actively involved in investigating the arson.
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Torah scroll salvaged from of a Melbourne synagogue torched in an antisemitic attack
(Photo: Tania Lee / AFP)
3 View gallery
Religious artifacts salvaged from of a Melbourne synagogue torched in an antisemitic attack
(Photo: Asanka Ratnayake / Getty Images)
Eyewitnesses reported seeing two masked individuals break a window at the synagogue early Friday morning, pour gasoline and set the building on fire before fleeing. Two worshippers inside, preparing for morning prayers, alerted emergency services.
President Isaac Herzog condemned the attack and said he spoke with Albanese to express concern over the rising antisemitic incidents globally. "Following the atrocities carried out by Hamas against Israel on and since October 7, 2023, there has been an intolerable wave of attacks on Jewish communities in Australia and around the world," Herzog wrote. He urged firm action from Australian leaders and voiced confidence in local law enforcement’s efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.