Posted on 07/06/25
| News Source: JPost
A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged after setting fire to a centuries-old historic synagogue in East Melbourne, Australia’s Counter Terrorism Security Investigation Unit announced Saturday.
The man was allegedly seen entering the grounds of the synagogue, pouring a flammable liquid on the front door of the building and setting it on fire before fleeing.
The man was charged with reckless conduct, endangering life, criminal damage by fire, and possession of a controlled weapon. He is expected to appear before the Bail and Remand Court.
Detectives will continue to investigate the man’s intent and ideology to determine if the incident constitutes terrorism, Victoria Police announced.
At the time of the arson attack, 20 people were inside the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation synagogue but did not suffer injuries as a result of the incident, according to Victoria Police. Firefighters attended the scene within minutes and extinguished the blaze on the synagogue’s front door, the Victoria Fire Department said.
The police have not established any link between the burning of the synagogue and the attack at Eyal Shani’s Miznon restaurant, which occurred that same evening.
Dr. Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, shared in response to the incidents that he believed that it was part of a wider assault.
“On Friday night, someone tried to burn Jews alive in their house of worship. On Friday night, a mob hunted them down in the streets. This was terrorism. A synagogue, one of the oldest in the country, was deliberately set on fire while Jewish families were eating together. Had the flames reached further, we would be counting bodies, not blessings,” he said.