The Australian police have announced that the fire which blazed through Melbourne’s Adass Israel synagogue would be treated as a possible terror attack.
Three suspects are currently being tracked down over Friday’s early-morning fire which caused extensive damage, but, fortunately left one man with a minor burn to his hand.
According to eyewitnesses, masked figures had been spreading what appeared to be an accelerant in the building, before they set it alight.
Although the Victoria Police say they have no evidence that further antisemitic attacks were being planned at this time, patrols have been increased to reassure the community.
After a meeting with the Australian Federal Police and domestic spy agency Asio, the state police force revealed that additional “intelligence” had led them to agree the incident should be treated as a probable terror attack.
Commissioner Shane Patton had however, said the police had no prior information to suggest an arson attack was in the offing.
On Monday, the state Premier Jacinta Allan said the terror classification meant that the police would now have additional resources for their investigation.
In reaction to the attack, Jewish community leaders said they believe the attack was an amplification of a recent documented increase in antisemitism in Australia, and this has heightened fears of violence.
Some worshippers had been inside the building at the time of the fire, and they described hearing banging and seeing a window smashed, before liquids were thrown inside and lit on fire.
PM Albanese had on Monday, also announced a new federal strike force to investigate incidents of antisemitism.
He also revealed that a special response was needed to fight the growing threat, pointing to two other recent incidents to make his point – the vandalism of a Jewish MP’s office and an attack in Sydney in which a car was torched and buildings graffitied.
