A recent arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue, now under investigation as a potential act of terrorism, has highlighted a significant surge in antisemitic incidents across Australia, prompting widespread concern.

This attack, along with other acts of vandalism on December 6th, is among several events that have prompted the Jewish community to seek governmental assistance.

A Sydney incident on Wednesday involved a car fire and vandalism affecting multiple buildings within a Jewish community; one tag read “kill Israiel” (sic). This follows similar incidents late last month, where vehicles and a restaurant were defaced with graffiti.

Following the Sydney attacks, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns noted Sydney’s large Holocaust survivor population, emphasizing their migration to Australia for refuge from such hatred.

Synagogue worshiper Yumi Friedman described hearing banging, seeing shattered glass, and smelling fire, sustaining burns while trying to open the synagogue doors. Police responded by ordering worshipers to the ground before realizing their innocence.

While the Adass Israel Synagogue does not practice Zionist Judaism, community members interviewed attributed the attacks to antisemitism, stating the targeting was based solely on their Jewish faith.

A protester outside the firebombed synagogue, wearing a keffiyeh and a Palestinian flag baseball cap, held a sign reading “Nothing is more antisemitic than Zionism.”

Many community members expressed feelings of insufficient government support, prompting a discussion with Victoria Police Detective Inspector Chris Murray regarding increased police presence.

Murray assured the community of police efforts to bring perpetrators to justice, acknowledging the targeted nature of the attack but citing uncertainty regarding the motive.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton classified the firebombing as a likely terrorist attack during a press conference.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced criticism for his perceived delayed response to the Melbourne attack. Yemini documented Albanese’s visit and questioned his failure to address reporters’ inquiries, noting a past tendency to conflate antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Despite facing increased intolerance, Australia’s Jewish population is considerably smaller than its Muslim population and has remained relatively stagnant or declined, while the Muslim population has grown. In 2016, Jewish Australians constituted 0.5% of the population (Monash University), compared to 2.6% Muslim Australians (University of South Australia). Currently, Muslims account for 3.2% and Jews for 0.4% of the population.

Following the attacks, Albanese announced an Australian Federal Police operation targeting threats and hate against the Jewish community, and highlighted $25 million (approximately US$15 million) in security funding allocated since 2022, along with efforts to combat hate speech and the Nazi salute.

Many Jewish Australians deem these measures insufficient. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) sent an open letter to Albanese expressing concerns about the safety and security of the Jewish community and the escalating antisemitism crisis, requesting increased security funding, antisemitism education in schools, stronger enforcement against harassment, and additional government support.

Albanese’s office did not respond to requests for comment on criticisms of his response to the Melbourne firebombing, his response to the ECAJ’s letter, and potential links between the country’s stance on Palestine and rising antisemitic hate.

An ECAJ report from November 2024 indicated a dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents in Australia since October 7th, showing a 316% increase from 495 incidents in the previous year to 2,062 incidents between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.

The ECAJ shared photographs documenting various acts of antisemitic hate, including incidents of vandalism and threats reported by the Jewish Independent.

The government responded to some significant antisemitic acts. In February, anti-Israel activists shared personal details of 600 Jewish individuals in a WhatsApp group.

Seven months later, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus proposed legislation introducing up to six years imprisonment for releasing private information to cause harm, increasing to seven years if the targeting is based on factors like race, religion, or sexual orientation.

In response to the rising intolerance, the Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a travel advisory on December 9th, urging Jews to exercise extreme caution when visiting Australia, citing authorities’ failure to adequately address the ongoing issues.

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