Congregation flees after arsonist sets fire to an Australian synagogue door
A man doused the double front doors of the downtown East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and set it alight around 8 p.m., a police statement said on Saturday. Around 20 worshippers sharing a meal to mark the Shabbat Jewish day of rest evacuated through a rear door and no one was injured, police said.
Fire fighters extinguished the blaze which was contained to the front entrance, police.
Antisemitic attacks roil Australia since 2023
A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel triggered the war in Gaza.
Jewish and Muslim organizations and hate researchers have recorded drastic spikes in hate-fueled incidents on both groups.
The Australian government last year appointed special envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia in the community.
Last year, two masked men struck the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne's southeast early on Friday, Dec. 6. They caused extensive damage by spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms throughout the building before igniting it. A worshipper sustained minor burns.
No charges have yet to be laid for that attack, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed on antisemitism.
The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes Victoria state police, federal police and Australia's main domestic spy agency, said the fire was likely a politically-motivated attack.
Police say synagogue attack is a serious crime
Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described the latest synagogue fire as a serious crime. Police released a CCTV image of a suspect.
'I'd like to make it very clear that we do recognize that these crimes are disgusting and abhorrent. But at this stage, we are not declaring this a terrorist incident,' Dunstan told reporters.
'In the course of our investigation, we will examine the intent and the ideology of the persons involved, or person, to determine if this is in fact terrorism. At the moment, we are categorizing it as a serious criminal incident and responding accordingly,' she added.
A terrorism declaration opens the investigation to more resourcing and can result in charges that carry longer prison sentences.
The synagogue's president Danny Segal called for the wider Australian community to stand with his congregation.
'We're here to be in peace, you know, we're here for everybody to live together and we've got a fresh start in Australia, such a beautiful country, and what they're doing is just not fair and not right, and as Australians, we should stand up and everybody should stand up,' Segal told reporters.
Protesters harass diners in Israeli-owned restaurant
Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant. A Miznon restaurant window was broken. A 28-year-old woman was arrested for hindering police.
Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich, a leading opponent of antisemitism in Australia, said diners were terrorized as the group chanted 'Death to the IDF,' referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
'Melbourne, for one night, stopped being a safe place for Jews,' Abramovich said.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece condemned both the synagogue and restaurant incidents.
'These criminal acts against a Melbourne synagogue and an Israeli business are absolutely shocking,' Reece said. 'All of us as a community need to stand up against it.'
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said both incidents were designed to 'traumatize Jewish families.'
'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,' she said in a statement.
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NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Congregation flees after arsonist sets fire to an Australian synagogue door
An arsonist set fire to the door of a Melbourne synagogue and forced the congregation to flee on Friday, seven months after criminals destroyed a synagogue in the same Australian city with an accelerant-fueled blaze that left a worshipper injured. A man doused the double front doors of the downtown East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and set it alight around 8 p.m., a police statement said on Saturday. Around 20 worshippers sharing a meal to mark the Shabbat Jewish day of rest evacuated through a rear door and no one was injured, police said. Fire fighters extinguished the blaze which was contained to the front entrance, police. A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel triggered the war in Gaza. Jewish and Muslim organizations and hate researchers have recorded drastic spikes in hate-fueled incidents on both groups. The Australian government last year appointed special envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia in the community. Last December, two masked men struck the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne's southeast. They caused extensive damage by spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms throughout the building before igniting it. A worshipper sustained minor burns. No charges have been laid for that attack, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed on antisemitism. The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes Victoria state police, federal police and Australia's main domestic spy agency, said the fire was likely a politically-motivated attack. Police say synagogue attack is a serious crime Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described the latest synagogue fire as a serious crime. Police released a CCTV image of a suspect. 'I'd like to make it very clear that we do recognize that these crimes are disgusting and abhorrent. But at this stage, we are not declaring this a terrorist incident,' Dunstan told reporters. 'In the course of our investigation, we will examine the intent and the ideology of the persons involved, or person, to determine if this is in fact terrorism. At the moment, we are categorizing it as a serious criminal incident and responding accordingly,' she added. A terrorism declaration opens the investigation to more resourcing and can result in charges that carry longer prison sentences. The synagogue's president, Danny Segal, called for the wider Australian community to stand with his congregation. 'We're here to be in peace, you know, we're here for everybody to live together and we've got a fresh start in Australia, such a beautiful country, and what they're doing is just not fair and not right, and as Australians, we should stand up and everybody should stand up,' Segal told reporters. Protesters harass diners in Israeli-owned restaurant Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant. A Miznon restaurant window was broken. A 28-year-old woman was arrested for hindering police. Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich, a leading opponent of antisemitism in Australia, said diners were terrorized as the group chanted ' Death to the IDF,' referring to the Israel Defense Forces. 'Melbourne, for one night, stopped being a safe place for Jews,' Abramovich said. Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece condemned both the synagogue and restaurant incidents. 'These criminal acts against a Melbourne synagogue and an Israeli business are absolutely shocking,' Reece said. 'All of us as a community need to stand up against it.' Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said both incidents were designed to 'traumatize Jewish families.'
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Hamas says it is ready to enter ceasefire negotiations in ‘positive spirit'
Hamas said it had responded on Friday in 'a positive spirit' to a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal and was prepared to enter into talks on implementing the deal which envisages a release of hostages and negotiations on ending the conflict. US president Donald Trump earlier announced a 'final proposal' for a 60-day ceasefire in the nearly 21-month-old war between Israel and Hamas, stating he anticipated a reply from the parties in coming hours. On Friday evening Hamas wrote on its official website: 'The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterized by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.' Israeli media reported that Israel had received Hamas's response and it was being examined. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late on Friday, Trump said he was optimistic about the developments and there 'could be a Gaza deal' next week, although the situation could change. Earlier a source told the Guardian that Hamas leaders were close to accepting a proposed deal for a ceasefire in Gaza but want stronger guarantees that any pause in hostilities would lead to a permanent end to the 20-month war. The militant Islamist group has come under immense pressure in recent months, with its military leadership decimated and the Israeli military forcing its fighters out of former strongholds in the southern and central parts of Gaza. In recent days, Israel has ramped up its offensive, launching an intense wave of airstrikes across Gaza, killing more than 250 Palestinians, including many women and children, according to medical and civil defence officials. Hardline factions within Hamas had reluctantly accepted the need for a ceasefire to allow the organisation to regroup and plan a new strategy, one source familiar with the internal debate said. Since a previous ceasefire collapsed in March, more than 6,000 people have been killed in Gaza and an acute humanitarian crisis has worsened. Efforts for a new truce in Gaza gathered momentum after the US secured a ceasefire to end the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran last month. On Tuesday, Trump announced that Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the war. When asked on Thursday if Hamas had agreed to the latest ceasefire deal framework, he said: 'We'll see what happens. We are going to know over the next 24 hours.' Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to fly to Washington on Sunday for talks with Trump about the war in Gaza, the recent war between Israel and Iran, and other regional issues. The Israeli prime minister has long resisted a permanent end to the war in Gaza, partly to retain the support of far-right allies in his ruling coalition. But Israel's successes in the war with Iran have strengthened his political position and opinion polls in Israel show strong support for a deal. A senior Israeli official told Channel 12, a major Israeli TV network: 'Judging by the signals from Hamas, there is a high probability that we will start proximity talks in the next few days. If there is consent to proximity talks, there will be a deal.' Other Israeli officials told Reuters preparations were in place to approve the ceasefire deal and that an Israeli delegation was getting ready to join indirect talks brokered by Qatar and Egypt to cement the deal if Hamas responded positively. The proposal includes the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that triggered the conflict, and the return of the bodies of 18 more, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, an official familiar with the negotiations said on Thursday. Hamas seized 251 hostages during the 2023 attack. Less than half of the 50 who remain in Gaza are believed to be alive. Aid would enter Gaza immediately under the agreement, and the Israeli military would carry out a phased withdrawal from parts of the territory, according to the proposal. Negotiations would immediately start on a permanent ceasefire. 'We sure hope it's a done deal, but I think it's all going to be what Hamas is willing to accept,' Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Channel 12 on Thursday. 'One thing is clear: the president wants it to be over. The prime minister wants it to be over. The American people, the Israeli people, want it to be over.' Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The delivery of more aid to Gaza has been a principal demand of Hamas throughout negotiations. Israel imposed an 11-week blockade in March, which was only slightly eased in May under huge international pressure as famine loomed. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a secretive private organisation backed by the US and Israel that was charged with delivering food in Gaza, has been dogged by controversy. Hundreds have been killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid at the GHF's hubs and after gathering in crowds at locations where convoys sent by the UN have been stopped. On Friday, a report by the BBC quoted a former GHF employee describing colleagues firing towards Palestinians who had posed no threat, with many appearing to have been seriously hurt on several occasions. The GHF employee told the BBC he and others had been given no clear rules of engagement or standard operating procedures, and were told by one team leader: 'If you feel threatened, shoot – shoot to kill and ask questions later.' The GHF said the allegations, which were also made by former employees quoted by the Associated Press on Thursday, were categorically false and that no civilians had came under fire at their distribution sites. The Israeli military has denied any intent to harm civilians seeking aid, saying it only fired warning shots. Speaking to journalists while on his way to a rally in Iowa on Thursday, Trump said: 'I want the people of Gaza to be safe. That's more important than anything else. They've gone through hell.' Netanyahu visited Israel's Nir Oz kibbutz on Thursday for the first time since the 2023 Hamas attack. The community was one of the worst-hit in the attack, with nearly one in four residents kidnapped or killed. He said: 'I feel a deep commitment – first of all to ensure the return of all of our hostages, all of them. There are still 20 who are alive and there are also those who are deceased, and we will bring them all back.' The prime minister has been heavily criticised for refusing to take responsibility for the failures that allowed the 2023 attack, during which Hamas-led militants killed 1,200, mostly civilians, and has been repeatedly accused of prioritising his political survival over the fate of the hostages. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,000 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to a count by the territory's ministry of health that is considered reliable by the UN and many western governments. The Israeli military said it 'follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm' when striking 'terrorist targets'.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Festival organiser gets death threats after cancelling Bob Vylan set
The boss of a music festival said she received death threats from pro-Palestinian activists after dropping controversial rap duo Bob Vylan from the line-up. Catherine Jackson-Smith, who co-founded the Radar festival in Manchester, revealed she received an anonymous phone call after dropping the act following their 'death, death to the IDF' chant at Glastonbury. Ms Jackson-Smith said the caller had made a number of 'vile' comments before ending the call by saying: 'We know who you are, we know what you look like, we know where you're going to be. Do you feel safe? Watch your back.' Bob Vylan sparked outrage last weekend after rapper Pascal Robinson-Foster led the crowd in the controversial anti-Israeli chant during an appearance at Glastonbury that was broadcast live on the BBC. The comments have been widely condemned as anti-Semitic and police have opened an investigation. Bob Vylan have claimed they are being 'targeted for speaking up'. The duo were scheduled to perform in the headline Saturday slot at Radar, an independent festival that takes place at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Trafford Park, Manchester. But in a brief Instagram post published on Wednesday, promoters said Bob Vylan would no longer be appearing. Radar's social media accounts were quickly flooded with abusive comments, including accusations that the festival was 'complicit in genocide' and 'supports the incineration of babies'. One social media user called on all other bands playing at Radar to boycott the festival in response, saying: 'If you don't pull out you support genocide.' The threats highlight the scale of abuse levelled by activists in an increasingly incendiary debate over the conflict in Gaza. It comes despite Ms Jackson-Smith insisting that she wanted Bob Vylan to perform but that she was 'forced' to pull the group after being told the festival could not go ahead if they remained on the line-up. The festival boss said that telling the duo they could not perform was 'categorically one of the most horrendous professional discussions I've ever had'. 'I cannot express clearly enough that I wanted Bob Vylan to perform at our festival,' she told the 2 Promoters, 1 Pod podcast, adding that she had considered booking controversial Irish hip hop trio Kneecap as a secret set instead. Radar and other festival organisers are also coming under pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups who are demanding that acts such as Bob Vylan and Kneecap be removed from line-ups. UK Lawyers for Israel have taken credit for Radar's decision to cancel the act. The charity said it had written to Academy Music Group, owners of the O2 Victoria Warehouse, warning of potential breaches of the law should the duo repeat their chants. A spokesman for the law group said: 'We are pleased to see that this kind of anti-Semitic hateful behaviour is not being tolerated by music venues. 'We hope this serves as a lesson to other performers that they cannot be racist and anti-Semitic with impunity.'
