Police confirm synagogue firebomb ‘being treated as a terrorist attack’

The burning of a Melbourne synagogue – described as a callous and horrific attack – has officially been deemed a terrorist act.

The burning of a Melbourne synagogue has officially been deemed a terrorist attack.

The Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea was firebombed in the early hours of Friday morning last week, sending shockwaves through the Australian Jewish community.

On Monday, following a meeting between the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed the incident was “being treated as a terrorist attack”.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told reporters there were three suspected involved. Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

Two of the three buildings were destroyed in the blaze. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

A declaration of an act of terrorism will allow the AFP to join Victoria Police in investigating the incident.

Mr Patton said three suspects had been identified but did “not want to jeopardise the investigation by going into a blow by blow … and what evidence and intelligence we’ve gained”.

“What concerns me is the callous nature of this attack, the involved nature of this attack, and the fact that the attack has taken place where it occurred,” Mr Patton told the media.

Mr Patton said police did not initially determine the firebombing was a terrorist attack on Friday, but after meetings with the AFP over the weekend, the declaration had been made on Monday.

In doing so, police will be given enhanced powers as they continue to investigate the attack, including preventive detention and enhanced covert investigation tools.

“It’s quite clear it was targeted. It was callous and a horrific attack on the synagogue, but by default, it’s an attack on the Jewish people,” Mr Patton said.

The Adass Israel Synagogue, an ultra-Orthodox synagogue in Ripponlea, was attacked about 4am on Friday, December 6. Picture: NewsWire/David Caird

Mr Patton also confirmed a shell casing found on a footpath during the day was not being linked to the attack.

He said it was a “very old, damaged .22-calibre bullet” that was found “many, many hours after this attack”.

“The reality is we have nothing to suggest whatsoever that this has any connection with this attack,” he said.

“Nothing at all.”

Australian Federal Policy Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said transferring the investigation to the joint counter-terrorism team was a “crucial turning point”.

“This is now a terrorism investigation, led by the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team which includes Victoria Police, the AFP and ASIO,” she said.

Premier Jacinta Allan described the attack as “one of the most evil we’ve seen” and said it was important that “our thoughts again today must be with the Jewish community here in Melbourne”.

“This has been an awful, evil, anti-Semitic and now we know has been confirmed as a terrorist attack.

“We must remember and continue to hold the community, who is grieving, who is suffering, in our hearts and give them all of our support.”

Ms Allan went on to add: “This has to come to an end. We cannot let this conflict overseas continue to be a plug for behaviour like that here. It has to come to an end now.”

Community members gather after the blaze. Picture: NewsWire/ Andrew Henshaw

The incident has been declared a terrorist attack by Victoria Police. Picture: NewsWire/ Andrew Henshaw

She said there had been had increased police presence and patrols following the incident.

“We’ve invested in those important security upgrades for schools and places of significance in and around Melbourne,” she said.

“Also too, we do have to look at how the changing law can play a role here, which is why we are considering and looking at ways to ensure that everyone has the right to pray, to attend their place of worship, safe and securely.”

Two of the synagogue’s three buildings were gutted in the fire.

The Victorian government has pledged $100,000 to help rebuild the site.

Anthony Albanese said on Sunday he believed the firebombing attack was a terrorism act.

A woman delivers flowers to the site. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

Members of the Jewish community gather on the footpath in front of the synagogue that was attacked on December 6 following the discovery of a bullet. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

PM backlash

The Prime Minister had been criticised by the Jewish community and opposition for not labelling the incident as a terrorist event despite condemning the “deplorable attack” as anti-Semitic.

While speaking at a doorstop in Perth to launch a new train line on Sunday, he said it was his belief that the incident had the markers of a terrorist event.

“Terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community and the atrocities that occurred in the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community and therefore from my personal perspective certainly fulfil that definition of terrorism,” he said.

“The protocols are that the state jurisdictions, who have the lead on this through Victoria Police, will make an assessment and a recommendation,” he said, while adding that there has been a “worrying” rise anti-Semitism in Australia.

“That’s the formal process, but quite clearly this has been aimed at creating fear, and that is what terrorists seek to do.”

Dutton’s big pledge after synagogue attack

Peter Dutton has pledged to set up an “anti-Semitism taskforce” if the Coalition wins next year’s federal election.

The Opposition Leader’s promise comes after the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue sparked fresh fears in Australia’s Jewish community.

Mr Dutton said on Monday “the blatant racism that we’ve seen against people of Jewish faith and heritage has been obvious on a daily basis” since Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack in Israel last year.

Peter Dutton has pledged to set up an ‘anti-Semitism taskforce’ if the Coalition wins next year’s federal election. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Thousands of cases of people who have been targeted in their businesses, in their communities, in their places of worship, and that is thoroughly unacceptable,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

“So today I announce that stronger action and national leadership will be brought to the table, and a Dutton Coalition government will act from day one to fix Labor’s law enforcement crisis through a number of policy measures.”

Among those measures is the new taskforce led by the Australian Federal Police and other law-enforcement and security agencies.

“It will look at the historic complaints that have been made since October 7 last year, in relation to doxing matters and in relation to blatant acts of discrimination, racism online and threats that have been made to people of Jewish faith in our country,” he said.

“It will strengthen the provisions of section 501, the character test, under the Migration Act, which will be targeted at those people who are non-citizens, who will be deported for their conduct which is deemed to be anti-Semitic.

“And it will provide an opportunity for us to say in a very clear voice, unequivocal to the Australian people, that we will not tolerate racism of any description, and we will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form.”

Originally published as Police confirm synagogue firebomb ‘being treated as a terrorist attack’