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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Friday night’s attacks on a Melbourne synagogue and a popular Israeli restaurant as hate crimes that warrant the attention of the federal government.
The violent incidents have rattled Australia’s Jewish community after a spate of similar incidents over the summer.
The scorched door of the East Melbourne Synagogue after it was set alight on Friday evening.Credit: Christopher Hopkins
Netanyahu said in a statement overnight: “I view with utmost gravity the antisemitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne, which included attempted arson of a synagogue in the city and a violent assault against an Israeli restaurant by pro-Palestinian rioters.”
“The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of ‘death to the IDF’ and an attempt to attack a place of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted.”
“The state of Israel will continue to stand alongside the Australian Jewish community, and 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.”
A man has been charged over the suspicious fire at a synagogue in East Melbourne, which was one of three separate incidents that appeared to target the city’s Jewish community on Friday night.
Counterterrorism detectives charged the 34-year-old from Toongabbie, NSW, after arresting him in Melbourne CBD about 8.15pm on Saturday evening.
He was interviewed by detectives and charged with reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, criminal damage by fire, and possession of a controlled weapon.
A police statement said that detectives would “continue to examine the intent and ideology of the person charged to determine if the incident is, in fact, terrorism”.
About 20 people were taking part in Shabbat inside the historic Albert Street synagogue when flammable liquid was poured on the front door of the building and it was set alight.
On Sunday, police presence will be ramped up at a pro-Palestine rally after multiple incidents allegedly targeting the Jewish community in Melbourne on Friday night.
A group of about 20 people, some masked and wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, entered the CBD Israeli restaurant, Miznon, at 8.15pm.
Vision from the Miznon incident shows diners screaming in fear inside the Hardware Lane restaurant, which is part-owned by an Israeli entrepreneur who has been promoting a controversial aid group in Gaza.
Israel’s president Isaac Herzog, a member of the Israeli Labor Party, also weighed in, saying: “This is not the first such attack in Australia in recent months.”
The remarks from Netanyahu – who, along with Hamas leaders, is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over Israel’s operations in Gaza – represent his second thrust into Australian affairs. Amid a spate of attacks on Australian Jewish sites in December, Netanyahu claimed the Australian government was not doing enough to curb antisemitism. Some of those alleged crimes involved organised criminals.
Australia has taken an increasingly hard line against Netanyahu’s government for its actions in Gaza and comments from far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, who were sanctioned by Australia last month for allegedly inciting violence against Palestinians.
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Netanyahu has become increasingly isolated diplomatically as New Zealand, Canada, the UK and Australia, all traditional friends of Israel, have criticised the length and severity of the war in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 massacre.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Jacinta Allan both condemned the Melbourne incidents on Saturday.
“Antisemitism has no place in Australia,” Albanese said. “Those responsible for these shocking acts must face the full force of the law, and my government will provide all necessary support toward this effort.”
Allan said: “This is disgraceful behaviour by a pack of cowards.”
The federal assistant minister for multicultural affairs Julian Hill said it was wrong to hold Australian citizens who were Jewish responsible for the actions of a foreign government.
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