Door of historic synagogue set ablaze as 20 people eat shabbat dinner inside in Melbourne, Australia. Moments later, antisemitic rioters storm Israeli restaurant in same city.
By Rachel Avraham
According to a recent report in CNN, a mat set the door of a historic synagogue ablaze, as 20 people sat inside eating Shabbat dinner last Friday night in Australia. Alex Ryvchin, the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), wrote on X. “No one was injured and firefighters extinguished the small blaze,” police said, adding that the perpetrator, who remains unidentified, fled the scene.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that 20 antisemitic protesters stormed an Israeli restaurant in the same city of Australia, chanting “death to the IDF.” A recording shared by the Daily Mail Australia revealed that chairs, food, and glassware were thrown at the Miznon restaurant, run by Israeli chef Eyal Shani.
“They came in with their drums and their mic and stuff saying ‘Miznon is not welcome here,’” a diner told the Herald Sun. “Then they started getting aggressive, throwing tomatoes, chairs, and glasses. They caused lots of damage to the businesses down here.”
Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece described the attack as “shocking,” according to Nine News. “I cannot condemn this sort of behavior in stronger terms… this is a city of peace and tolerance, and we will not stand for this,” he said. Ryvchin, from the ECAJ, urged the nation to condemn “these deplorable crimes. Those responsible cannot be reasoned with or appeased. They must be confronted with the full force of the law.”
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, told the Jerusalem Post that he believed that the incident was 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. Had the flames reached further, we would be counting bodies, not blessings. 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 terrorized diners. Children screamed. Glass shattered. Melbourne, for one night, stopped being a safe place for Jews.”
Dr. Abramovich continued: “This was a campaign. Not a coincidence. Not a one-off. A targeted, synchronized assault against Jews for being Jews. The fists, the chants, the violence—they were unleashed without restraint. 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. We are not asking for sympathy. We want action. We want justice. 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.”
“The horrifying attacks overnight on a synagogue and an Israeli business in Melbourne are yet another reminder of how far racist, antisemitic hate crimes have spread in the heart of Australia,” Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told the Times of Israel. “Targeting Jewish houses of worship and an Israeli restaurant is terrorism, aimed at intimidating an entire community simply because of their religion and identity.”
“Let me be clear: these attacks are happening because, for too long, there have been no real consequences for those spreading hate and inciting violence,” Haskel continued. “Weakness and silence only embolden the extremists. There is no justification — ever — for violence and hatred directed at Jews, Israelis, or any minority. The perpetrators of this terrorism must be brought to justice.”
Photo from 9 News Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHr-Vqzli8
