Political and community leaders have condemned an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue. Early-morning worshippers inside reported seeing two masked men throw fuel into the building and setting it alight.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00The attack occurred at about 4 a.m. this morning.
00:05There were actually people studying inside the synagogue at that time,
00:09and they report seeing two suspects who threw accelerant into the synagogue,
00:14and shortly after it was engulfed in flames.
00:17Now those inside managed to escape without injury.
00:20Here's how one of them described it.
00:22I heard a big bang, like a sledgehammer on the door, and I got a shock.
00:27On the second ladder there was a window, and I saw glass flying,
00:30so I knew that someone was trying to break in there.
00:32So I shook myself, and I raced out through the hall back into the lane.
00:37I got a fish shop in the back of the lane, so I went into the fish shop.
00:42Then I realised I left my phone inside.
00:44I wasn't going to go back inside, so I'm part of a tooler.
00:47I radioed in that I'm in trouble, I need backup.
00:50So police say they are looking for two suspects.
00:52They've been combing local businesses for CCTV.
00:55They've also been door-knocking houses,
00:57and there has been an arson chemist present here on site today.
01:01They have expressed disgust at this attack
01:04and say they will do everything they can to bring those responsible to justice.
01:10We will do everything we can to bring these individuals before the courts
01:15and to let the community know that we're going to do our best
01:19to ensure that they can return, as they should, to their local synagogues
01:25and do what is absolutely Australian, that is, to be able to worship without fear.
01:31Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been very strong to condemn these attacks.
01:36He was out on radio this morning, shortly after they occurred,
01:40and said they were anti-Semitic and all Australians should condemn them.
01:44And later on in the afternoon he actually appeared on camera at a press conference
01:49and reiterated those views and said this was an attack on Australian values.
01:53He also said he remained in contact with the AFP, he'd been briefed by them,
01:57and he'd encouraged them to give any resources to Victoria Police
02:02that they may need to track down the people who've done this.
02:06This was a shocking incident.
02:10It should be unequivocally condemned.
02:12There's no place in Australia for an outrage such as this.
02:18To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values.
02:25The local community here are in shock and certainly people have been milling here all day.
02:30As it's been described to us, this wasn't just a place where you came once a week.
02:35People are using this synagogue every single day for different activities and different worship.
02:40It was at the centre of the community.
02:43It was actually built by Holocaust survivors who chose to resettle in Melbourne after the war.
02:48So that gives you an idea of the significance that this synagogue holds for the local community.
02:54And they say they're devastated by this attack.
02:57Our priority is to make sure this community can live as proud Australians and proud Jewish people.
03:04We urge police to do everything they can to find the culprits of this terrible incident.
03:10And we'll be supporting the Adas Israel community,
03:13those who come and pray at this synagogue every day,
03:16to be able to live as safe and proud Jewish Victorians.
03:23And look, certainly some Jewish people we've spoken to here are angry
03:27and some people from, I guess, the federal bodies are angry too
03:30and say this attack shouldn't come as a surprise.
03:33They've said that since the war in Gaza, attacks on Jewish people have been escalating.
03:38And they've expressed anger at leaders for not calling out anti-Semitic attacks
03:43when they believe they should be called out.