Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke condemns Melbourne synagogue arson as ‘attack on Australia’

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has condemned an arson attack at a synagogue in inner Melbourne on Friday night as “an attack on Australia” and warned people not to “import hatred”.

Speaking in Melbourne on Sunday, he welcomed the prompt arrest by counter terrorism of a 34-year-old man from Western Sydney.

The accused has been charged with reckless conduct endangering life, criminal damage by fire and possessing a controlled weapon after the incident along Albert Street about 8pm.

“Hatred has no place in Australia. Anti-semitism has no place in Australia,” Mr Burke said.

“The community here was harmed. The Jewish community in Australia was harmed, and we were harmed as a nation.

“No matter where you come from in the world, no matter what your heritage is, we stand together, we welcome each other, and we do not import hatred and violence from overseas to life in Australia.

“None of it belonged in Australia and they were attacks on Australia. So we’ve come together today to stand in solidarity with the community here.”

Twenty people, including children, were taking part in Shabbat when the fire broke out, but all were able to evacuate safely as fire crews quickly contained the blaze to the front entrance and extinguished it.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the attack overnight as an “act of terrorism” fueled by antisemitism and hatred.

Labor colleague Mark Dreyfus also met with members of the synagogue on Sunday and urging the public to unite and “make sure that this never happens again”.

“This attack on this old synagogue here in the center of Melbourne is an attack not just on the Jewish community - It’s an attack on the entire Australian community,” he said.

“Let’s make sure that this never happens again. And that hatred of this kind is banished from our country.”

The incident — and a second incident at an Israeli restaurant — also sparked a strong response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who demanded action from the Australian Government in a statement posted on X.

Around 20 protesters chanting “death to the IDF” stormed the venue, Miznon, on Hardware Street in Melbourne’s CBD, terrifying diners as they threw food, smashed chairs against windows, and overturned tables.

“Vile antisemitic attacks, accompanied by chants of ‘Death to the IDF’ and an attempt to harm a house of worship, are serious hate crimes that must be uprooted,” Netanyahu said.