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6h ago

Man Charged Over East Melbourne Synagogue Firebombing After Counter-Terrorism Probe

Victoria Police are examining extremist motives behind the synagogue blaze.

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA - 2025/07/04: Police officers are seen collecting evidence at the synagogue which was the scene of an arson attack. Police declared a crime scene after a suspected arson attempt at East Melbourne synagogue. While the front doors sustained exterior burn damage, no one was injured in the attack. Victoria Police are seeking more information about the incident. (Photo by Alex Zucco/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Victoria’s Joint Counter-Terrorism Security Investigation Unit arrested a 34-year-old man from Sydney and charged him with reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, criminal damage by fire and possession of a controlled weapon.
  • Police allege the suspect doused the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation’s double front doors with flammable liquid around 8 p.m. on July 4 during Shabbat dinner, forcing about 20 worshippers to evacuate through a rear exit without injury.
  • Authorities continue to treat the attack as a serious criminal incident while probing ideological motives and have not formally declared it a terrorist act.
  • On the same night, around 20 masked protesters stormed the Israeli restaurant Miznon in Melbourne’s CBD chanting “Death to the IDF,” and a separate early-morning firebombing in Greensborough targeted three vehicles.
  • Political and community leaders from Premier Jacinta Allan to the Council of AustralianAustralian Jewry have called for expedited hate-crime legislation and stronger protections for Jewish institutions.