MELBOURNE: A 34-year-old man has been charged over an arson attack on the East Melbourne Synagogue, in what authorities describe as part of a troubling rise in antisemitic violence across Australia’s second-largest city.
Angelo Loras, of Sydney, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sunday, facing charges including arson, endangering life, and property damage. He was also charged with possessing a controlled weapon, though court documents did not specify the weapon’s type. Loras did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody until his next hearing on July 22.
The attack took place Friday night, when a flammable liquid was ignited at the synagogue’s entrance as around 20 worshippers shared a Shabbat meal inside. Fortunately, the congregation escaped unharmed through a rear exit, and firefighters contained the fire to the synagogue’s entryway.
The 148-year-old East Melbourne Synagogue, also known as the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, was the first of three targets in apparent antisemitic incidents on Friday night and early Saturday morning.
In downtown Melbourne, around 20 masked protesters stormed an Israeli-owned restaurant, cracking a window, overturning tables, and chanting “Death to the IDF.” A 28-year-old woman was arrested for hindering police at the scene.
Additionally, police are investigating an arson attack on three vehicles outside a business in Melbourne’s northern suburbs early Saturday. The vehicles were graffitied with antisemitic messages before being set on fire. That business had been previously targeted by pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke visited the synagogue on Sunday and condemned the attacks, calling them “acts of antisemitism and bigotry” that “have no place in Australia.” He said investigators are working to determine if the incidents are linked.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the violence, urging the Australian government to take strong measures against those responsible. “The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of ‘death to the IDF’ and an attempt to burn a house of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted,” Netanyahu said.
Authorities continue to investigate and have yet to confirm direct connections between the three incidents.
