Australian authorities condemn arson attack on Melbourne synagogue

Australian authorities condemn an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue that took place while worshippers were in the building, the latest in a spate of incidents against the nation’s Jewish community.

The fire at the entrance to the synagogue in the east of Victoria’s state capital was sparked on Friday night, police said in a statement. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and there were no injuries to the 20 people inside.

The attack, one of several recent antisemitic incidents in Australia, comes seven months after another synagogue in Melbourne was targeted by arsonists who set a blaze that injured one and caused widespread damage.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan says it was “absolutely appalling” that a second Jewish synagogue had been attacked.

“Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism,” Allan says in a statement.

Police say they believed the attack, in which flammable liquid was poured on the synagogue’s front door and set alight, was carried out by a male suspect. He has not been identified but is thought to be white and aged in his 30s.

There is “no place in our society for antisemitic or hate-based behavior,” police say.