Australian police on Monday said the Melbourne synagogue arson attack is being treated as a terrorist incident.
Emergency services were called to a fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue, in the Ripponlea suburb of Melbourne’s south-east, in the early hours of Friday. Witnesses told the police that they saw people inside the premises pouring liquid on the floor.
The fire caused extensive damage to the building, but firefighters quickly extinguished the fire.
Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton told a press conference on Monday that police were looking for three suspects in connection with the bombing, adding that the weekend investigation had made significant progress, although no further details were available.
Patton said a joint committee of the administration reviewed the attack and concluded it was “a possible terrorist incident.”
“Now we will shift the investigation under the umbrella of the joint counter-terrorism team,” he added.
Australian Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed the attack was now being treated as terrorism, describing it as a “potentially politically motivated attack.”
On Friday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack, calling it “outrageous.”
Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog assured the Jewish community of the support and solidarity of the people of Israel.
On social media, X wrote: “I call on the leaders of Australia and the world, to strongly condemn this heinous act of terrorism and fight the intolerable rise of anti-Semitism around the world.”
Melbourne is home to the largest Jewish population in the country, with 54,583 Jews living there according to the 2021 census, reports the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA).
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