Synagogue door ignited and restaurant ransacked during recent instances of antisemitic acts in Australia
In Melbourne, Australia, a troubling trend of antisemitic attacks has been on the rise, causing alarm within the community and beyond. The city has recently witnessed a series of serious incidents targeting Jewish establishments, with a synagogue and an Israeli restaurant both falling victim to arson attacks.
On July 2025, a synagogue located in East Melbourne was set on fire in an arson attack, with families inside. Shortly before or after this incident, an Israeli restaurant was targeted by a group chanting violent antisemitic slogans, throwing objects, and causing disruption. Earlier in December 2024, another synagogue (Adass Israel) was torched, causing serious damage and minor injuries to a worshipper.
Authorities, including Victoria Police, are actively investigating these incidents. Arrests have been made in some cases, and ongoing efforts are being made to identify further offenders. Police are also looking into potential links between the synagogue fire and the restaurant attack.
The Australian government has appointed special envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia in the community, acknowledging the severity of the problem.
Australian Jewish leaders and international figures, including Israeli officials, have strongly condemned the attacks. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) called the recent violence a "severe escalation" and urged all Australians to condemn these crimes. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel labeled the attacks as antisemitic terrorism, emphasizing the urgent need for justice and stronger measures against hate crimes.
Melbourne's Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece described the synagogue attack as "shocking," while Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan denounced the attack on Saturday as "designed to shatter...peace and traumatize Jewish families." No one was injured in the synagogue attack, and firefighters extinguished the small blaze.
In addition to these incidents, police are investigating a third attack early Saturday morning in which three cars were set on fire near a business in the northeastern suburb of Greensborough. Suspects spray-painted the cars and the walls of the buildings in this attack. The business in the third attack has been targeted by pro-Palestine protesters in the past.
A group of about 20 protesters stormed into an Israeli restaurant on Hardware Lane in Melbourne on Friday night, chanting "Death to the IDF" before arriving at the restaurant. A 28-year-old was arrested for hindering police at the Israeli restaurant.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office have joined in condemning the attacks, urging Australian officials to "take all steps necessary to protect their Jewish citizens" and "take all necessary measures to bring the perpetrators to justice and to prevent such attacks in the future."
This crisis has mobilized both law enforcement and community organizations to confront antisemitism decisively, with the aim of protecting Jewish Australians and upholding social harmony. The ECAJ's Ryvchin urged the nation to condemn "these deplorable crimes."
This story has been updated with additional developments. As of now, the perpetrator of the synagogue attack remains unidentified and fled the scene. Approximately 20 people were inside the synagogue when the attack occurred at 8 p.m. local time.
In light of the recent escalation in antisemitic attacks, politics and general news outlets have covered the troubling trend of violent incidents targeting Jewish establishments in Melbourne, Australia. Additionally, crime-and-justice reporting has focused on the ongoing police investigations into arson attacks on a synagogue and an Israeli restaurant, as well as the subsequent arrest of a protester hindering police at the Israeli restaurant.
