Police say Australian synagogue arson a ‘likely’ terrorist attack

Australian police on Monday said that an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne is being treated as a terrorist incident.

Emergency services were called to a fire in the Adass Israel Synagogue, located in the Ripponlea area in south-east Melbourne, in the early hours of Friday. Witnesses told police they had seen people inside the premises pour liquid on the floor.

The fire caused significant damage to the building, but firefighters quickly contained the blaze.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told a press conference on Monday that police were searching for three suspects in connection with the firebombing, adding that investigations over the weekend had made significant progress, though no further details were provided.

Patton said a joint management committee had assessed the attack and concluded it was “likely a terrorist incident.”

“We will now transition the investigation under the umbrella of the joint counter-terrorism team,” he added.

Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed that the attack was now being treated as terrorism, describing it as a “likely politically motivated attack.”

On Friday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack, calling it an “outrage.”

Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog had assured the Jewish community of the support and solidarity of the Israeli people.

On the social media platform X, he wrote: “I call on leaders in Australia and around the world, to strongly condemn this vile act of terror and to combat the intolerable rise of anti-Jewish racism worldwide.”

Melbourne is home to the country’s largest Jewish population, with 54,583 Jews living there according to a 2021 census, the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) has reported.