Overview
- Victoria Police are probing a suspicious arson after a rabbi’s car displaying a “Happy Chanukah” sign was set alight in a St Kilda East driveway at about 2:50 a.m. on Christmas Day, with the household evacuated and no injuries reported.
- Detectives released an image of 47-year-old John Argento as a person who may assist the inquiry, noting an outstanding warrant for unrelated deception offenses and stating they do not currently believe there is a broader threat to the Jewish community.
- The vehicle will undergo forensic examination by an arson chemist, officers have boosted patrols in Jewish neighborhoods, and police appealed for CCTV or dashcam footage and public tips to Crime Stoppers.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the firebombing and flagged federal moves on hate-speech and visa powers, while Victoria signaled tougher hate-crime measures and protest restrictions after designated terror attacks.
- Jewish leaders called the incident a clear antisemitic act and renewed demands for a national inquiry, as the country continues to investigate the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach massacre, which police say was ISIS-inspired and for which the surviving suspect faces terrorism and murder charges.