Police in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria have arrested a suspect in connection with an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne on Friday night, during Shabbat prayers.
The 34-year-old man from New South Wales allegedly carried out the attack around 8 p.m., pouring flammable liquid on the front door of the building and setting it alight before fleeing, police said. They added that there were 20 people inside the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, all of whom escaped without injury.
Firefighters were able to contain the blaze at the entrance to the synagogue.
Police arrested the man on Saturday night at about 8:15 p.m. in the coastal city’s central business district, after releasing an image of him earlier in the day from CCTV footage of the attack.
“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,” police said.
He was scheduled to appear before the bail and remand court on Sunday.
“Detectives will continue to examine the intent and ideology of the person charged to determine if the incident is, in fact, terrorism,” police said.
In a separate incident on Friday, a group of 20 protesters stormed and trashed a popular Israeli restaurant called Miznon on Hardware Street in Melbourne’s CBD.
Witnesses said the group was chanting “Death to the IDF” before arriving at the restaurant, and diners were fearful as the group threw food and chairs at windows and knocked over tables.
Police arrested a 28-year-old man and later released him, and an investigation was opened to identify the other offenders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday that he views the two incidents in Melbourne “with utmost gravity.” Calling the antisemitic attacks “reprehensible” and “severe hate crimes,” the premier emphasized that they must be eradicated.
“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,” Netanyahu’s statement concluded.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the “vile arson attack targeting Jews in Melbourne’s historic and oldest synagogue on the Sabbath, and on an Israeli restaurant where people had come to enjoy a meal together.” The president stressed that it was “intolerable that in 2025, we are still faced with the chilling image of an attempt to burn Jews alive as they pray, and attacks on Jewish businesses.” He asserted that the attacks on the Jewish community must end, demanding that authorities protect Jewish citizens.
“Antisemitism is a stain on any society,” Herzog continued, “and must be confronted with urgency and resolve.”
