A firebombing at a Synagogue in Melbourne is now officially being treated as a terror attack. Victorian and Federal Police are focused on three suspects over the blaze which has left the Jewish community reeling. With a new task force now launched to combat antisemitism.
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00:00Police now confirming the firebombing at Melbourne's Adas Israel Synagogue is being treated as
00:07an act of terror.
00:09When you have a crime like this that strikes at the fabric of the community, that is very,
00:14very concerning to us.
00:16The evil anti-Semitic attack on the Adas Israel Synagogue in the early hours of Friday morning
00:22has now been declared a terrorist attack.
00:25The fire investigation will now be led by Victoria's Joint Counter-Terrorism Team.
00:30They have three suspects in their sights.
00:32The referral to the Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which unlocks the powers and capabilities
00:39of the AFP, ASIO and Victoria Police.
00:42This appalling incident appears to embody the ugly dynamics that ASIO has been warning
00:46about.
00:47The Prime Minister also establishing a federal police operation to tackle anti-Semitism.
00:53It is now the third arson attack after the attack on Josh Byrne's electorate office
00:59and the Sydney Willara car incident.
01:02Opposition leader Peter Dutton visited the synagogue in Melbourne with a similar promise.
01:06We will be creating a dedicated anti-Semitism task force.
01:10And the Victorian Government has followed the lead of New South Wales, flagging new
01:14laws banning protests near places of worship, with reported rates of anti-Semitism on the
01:19rise.
01:20Why has it taken 14 months to get to this position?
01:23Why has it required a terrorist attack that now we're getting a Government's promising
01:30urgent responses?
01:32Police say they had no intelligence pointing to a terror attack here before it happened.
01:36And they say there's nothing suggesting further terror attacks at Jewish sites around Victoria.
01:41Despite that, police will continue to patrol Melbourne's Jewish neighbourhoods for the
01:45time being.