Herald Sun editorial: This was an attack on Jewish people, our state and all we stand for

The latest anti-Semitic attacks carried out in Melbourne on Friday night are disgusting, vile and evil aimed at terrifying the community and targeting people simply because of their faith.

The anti-Semitic attacks on Friday night on a synagogue and an Israeli restaurant were disgusting, vile, and evil.

And they were not only an attack on the Jewish people, they were an attack on our state and all we stand for.

The firebombing of the east Melbourne synagogue, the invasion of the Miznon restaurant in Hardware Lane and the rolling protest in the CBD were aimed at terrifying the community and targeting people simply because of their faith.

It is beyond the pale that a peaceful Friday night in our city would be torn apart by this disgusting rabble, screaming death to Israeli soldiers and anti-police slogans, blatantly breaking the law by stopping traffic before unleashing those two terrible incidents.

And what is even more shocking about what happened on Friday night is the terrible truth that this is not an isolated event. It is just the latest onslaught on a faith by haters.

Twenty people were inside the synagogue when the arsonist struck. Picture: David Crosling

The fire-damaged front door of the synagogue. Picture: David Crosling

The Jewish people who have contributed so much to this state but have been subject to the most terrible abuse, criminal attacks and threats for years

It has to stop.

And since October 2023 – when Israelis were slaughtered by Hamas, those attacks have only intensified to the point today that our great state, once known for peacefulness and tolerance is not the state it once was.

We have witnessed over the past years, an alarming increase in law-breaking, anti-Semitism, intolerance, anarchy and violence.

It has to stop.

It goes without saying that we must have a thorough investigation into this these latest incidents, and punishment of the offenders- but more than that – we need to stop the hate that has infected our streets, the hate that fuelled Friday night but also, so many other criminal offences such as that appalling firebombing of the Adass synagogue in December.

We must not forget – it is a miracle no one died in that arson attack in December or last night.

These are serious crimes – not protests. They are serious criminal attacks aimed at causing terror to the Jewish people.

The Herald Sun cannot be clearer.

Police respond to the protesters who stormed through Miznon.

Victoria needs to root out this evil from our state. We must all in this state stand up and stop this affront to our democracy and our way of life.

The Premier, the Chief Commissioner, all political parties, all religions and all fair minded Victorians need to show we will not tolerate this and we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish people.

And to the Premier and the Chief Commissioner- we say clearly, we need action, not words. You need to show – by what you do – that you are on this.

Because our tolerance, our democracy is being abused by a dangerous minority of anti-Semites, trouble-makers with a political agenda to impose their will on us, to show they are above the law.

Since that October 2023 Hamas terror attack, pro-Palestinian, anti-Jewish supporters wreaked havoc in this city every weekend for almost a year.

They spread their hate by taking over our streets. They did it with impunity and they are due to do it again on Sunday.

From those weekly protests in the city to those many attacks on Jewish people here, we have seen a complete failure to protect a religious group who simply want to live their lives in peace.

The lack of action has allowed the anti-Semitic views to fester and by that given tacit assent to those views.

This must end now.

These views are a threat, not only to the Jewish faith but to our very democracy.

And today, we will watch closely to see who stands up for the Jewish people, who visits and comforts those targeted, who takes action for them.

At the Herald Sun, we are unambiguous in our position.

Today we proudly stand with all the Jewish people and we condemn in the strongest possible terms the anti-Semitic attacks on Friday night and the continued assault on the Jewish people, here and abroad.

Originally published as Herald Sun editorial: This was an attack on Jewish people, our state and all we stand for