Australian Jews Survive Arson Attack On Synagogue; Israeli Restaurant Smashed
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (Worthy News) – Anxiety remained among religious Jews observing the Shabbat in Melbourne after an arsonist set fire to the door of a synagogue, forcing worshipers to flee, while elsewhere in the Australian city, protesters stormed an Israeli restaurant.
The attacks resembling antisemitic incidents of the World War II era came seven months after criminals destroyed a synagogue in Melbourne with an accelerant-fueled blaze that left a worshipper injured.
About 20 people, including children, were inside when a man poured flammable liquid on the front door of the synagogue on Albert Street in the downtown area of East Melbourne, Friday before setting it on fire, Victoria state police said.
The group was having Shabbat dinner, marking the beginning of the Jewish day of rest, when the attack occurred at 8 p.m. local time. Alex Ryvchin, the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), wrote about it on the social media platform X.
Police reported that no one was injured, and firefighters quickly extinguished the small blaze. They added that the perpetrator, who remains unidentified, fled the scene.
Police have pictured a bearded man they wish to speak to over the suspected arson attack on the synagogue, with photos showing damage to the front doors.
The attack came while over 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) to the west on Hardware Lane – one of the city’s most popular areas for restaurants and nightlife – about 20 protesters stormed “into an Israeli restaurant” chanting slogans, police said.
PRO HAMAS
The protesters, described by witnesses and commentators as “pro-Hamas Islamists”, were heard chanting “Death to the IDF”, a reference to the Israel Defense Forces, before arriving at the restaurant.
Other footage showed masked protesters hurling chairs and food, and smashing windows while screaming “Death to the IDF” at diners.
As nearly all adult Jewish citizens of Israel have to serve in the IDF, it was seen as a call for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people.
A 28-year-old was arrested “for hindering police” but was soon released on a summons, police said. “Several other protesters were spoken to by police and had their identities clarified for the purpose of follow-up investigation. Victoria Police continued to support the rights of Victorians to protest peacefully, but will not tolerate the kind of anti-social and violent behavior that was witnessed this evening.”
It was not immediately clear whether last week’s Glastonbury festival had inspired the protesters in England, where punk-rap duo Bob Vylan started leading a chant of “Death, death to the IDF” during their Saturday concert.
In response, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced that U.S. entry visas already issued to Bob Vylan’s members had been revoked “in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants” that were broadcast live by Britain’s tax-funded BBC network.
Activists said they targeted the Miznon restaurant because it is co-owned by Shahar Segal, who has served as a spokesperson for the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
DENYING WRONGDOING
The aid group dedicated to feeding people in Gaza has been rejected by the United Nations and several charities, who say its food distribution sites expose Gazans to IDF gunfire.
The GHF has firmly denied wrongdoing, saying they are preventing Hamas from stealing humanitarian aid, while at least some Palestinians in Gaza thanked the group on camera for delivering food.
Back in Melbourne, Jewish people and other diners were reeling from the latest antisemitic attacks. “They came in with their drums and their mic and stuff saying ‘Miznon is not welcome here,'” an unidentified diner told the media. “Then they started getting aggressive, throwing tomatoes, chairs, and glasses. They caused lots of damage to the businesses down here.”
Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Jewish-Australian community’s Anti-Defamation Commission, called the latest incidents 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,” he added in a statement.
“Had the flames reached further, we would be counting bodies, not blessings.”
He noted that “Minutes later, a gang of masked rioters stormed an Israeli restaurant. They came armed with hatred and chairs, chanting ‘Death to the IDF’ as they smashed windows and terrorised diners. Children screamed. Glass shattered. Melbourne, for one night, stopped being a safe place for Jews.”
NO COINCIDENCE?
He concluded that “This was a campaign. Not a coincidence. Not a one-off.” It was in his words, “A targeted, synchronised assault against Jews for being Jews. The fists, the chants, the violence–they were unleashed without restraint.”
He added, “To every leader in this nation: If you don’t know what to say, say this: ‘This is barbaric. And it will not be tolerated.’ There is a sickness spreading in our streets. It wears masks. It carries drums. It chants for death. And on Friday night, it lit a match.”
He stressed that the Jewish people impacted by the antisemitic incidents were “not asking for sympathy.”
They want action.
“We want justice,” Abramovich stated.
“We want protection. Not next week. Not after the next attack. Now. And to those who set the fire, who threw the chairs, who cheered from the sidelines, know this: You have not weakened us. You have awakened us. And we will not be silent as the flames climb higher.”
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