SYDNEY: Australian police said on Friday they were looking for two people suspected of deliberately starting a fire at a Melbourne synagogue that injured one and caused widespread damage.

The fire at the Adass Israel synagogue began early on Friday and police said the suspects were wearing masks.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack and said there was “no place for anti-Semitism” in Australia.

“This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage. This attack has risked lives and is clearly aimed at creating fear in the community,” he said in a statement.

Counter-terrorism police will liaise with Victoria state police on the investigation, Albanese said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bemoaned a “despicable anti-Semitic event”, and accused Albanese’s government of encouraging such crimes by pursuing what he said were anti-Israeli policies, including supporting a recent UN motion in favour of a Palestinian state.

“Unfortunately, this criminal act cannot be separated from the anti-Israel spirit blowing from the Labour government in Australia,” Netanyahu wrote on X.

“Anti-Israelism is anti-Semitism,” he said.

Victoria state police said a worshipper at the synagogue for morning prayers had seen two people who appeared to be spreading accelerant inside the building before setting it on fire.

“We believe it was deliberate. We believe it has been targeted. What we don’t know is why and we’ll get to the why,” inspector Chris Murray told reporters.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2024