Prime Minister Anthony Albanese heckled during visit to firebombed Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne

The PM has received an icy cold welcome during a chaotic visit to a firebombed synagogue in Melbourne, as it’s revealed $950K in security grants will be rolled out across 15 Jewish organisations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been met by an unruly crowd at the Adass Israel synagogue, with hecklers calling for him to resign.

Mr Albanese arrived at the synagogue in Ripponlea on Tuesday afternoon, five days after it was firebombed in an attack that has been classified as an act of terror.

After touring the site, Mr Albanese was expected to hold a press conference but was met with chaotic scenes as he tried to address the crowd, with calls from his staff of “get back” ignored from parts of the crowd.

One heckler shouted at him to “go live in Gaza,” while another said it was “a nice day for tennis.”

Anthony Albanese is surrounded at Adass Israel Synagogue on Tuesday. Picture: David Caird

The Prime Minister’s staff try to clear a path among the crowd. Picture: David Caird

A flustered Mr Albanese. Picture: David Caird

Mr Albanese was surrounded by a media scrum as he arrived at the site around 1pm praising Australia’s multicultural community.

He pledged to provide whatever financial support was necessary to bring the perpetrators to justice and branded the firebombing act an “evil crime”.

“Australia is not a country that will tolerate such an act,” he said.

He promised to help the community rebuild the synagogue, with the state government on Tuesday revealing $950,000 worth of security grants for CCTV, fencing and gates would be rolled out across 15 Jewish organisations.

Chabad St Kilda, where a rabbi’s home was targeted in what the government described as a “sickening act of anti-Semitic vandalism” was among the recipients.

The Yeshivah synagogue in St Kilda East, St Kilda shule, South Caulfield shule, Maccabi Victoria and 10 other organisations will also receive funding as part of the grants program

Federal MP Josh Burns, who attended the synagogue alongside the Prime Minister on Tuesday, later returned after Mr Albanese’s departure.

“Our reaction was shock to be honest, it’s just completely gutted inside and the smell as well of the burnt synagogue and all of the books that are burnt on the ground its actually pretty confronting,” he said.

“I’ve seen the footage and I had been outside, but to walk in there, we really felt it and it floored me a little bit.”

The member for Macnamara, who grew up in the area, said the damage was tough to witness.

“It’s historic for all the wrong reasons,” Mr Burns said.

“This is my home, I have wandered these streets for my whole life.

“I have obviously been experiencing the rise in anti-Semitism daily, but to see this on Friday was something that I didn’t expect, it was our worst fear.

“It’s been pretty confronting, but I’ve been amazed by the leadership of the community, and by the leadership Adass Israel community in particularly.

“They have been so humble and hopeful and gracious and kind and have stuck together and I am taking inspiration from them.”

Hecklers hurled insults during the brief visit. Picture: David Caird

The Prime Minister hugs a member of the Jewish community. Picture: David Geraghty

The Prime Minister’s chaotic visit follows a warning from a global Jewish human rights organisation for Jews to reconsider non-essential travel to Australia following the firebombing of the Ripponlea synagogue.

The US-based Simon Wiesenthal Center has requested a meeting with Australia’s Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, to outline their concerns over recent “patterns of violence against Jews” in Australia.

It is the first time the centre, which is a global leader in Holocaust research and famous for hunting down Nazi war criminals, has issued a travel advisory for Australia.

The centre’s associate dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper said the travel advisory was being issued in the wake of the firebombing of Adass Israel Synagogue — officially declared an act of terror on Monday.

In the letter to Mr Rudd, Rabbi Cooper said the centre was outraged that its fellow Jews in Australia were being targeted by hate crimes.

“We are not convinced that Jews are safe as the authorities have failed to take necessary measures to protect Jewish communities from increasingly belligerent and violent targeting by Islamists and other extremists,” the letter states.

“To be clear, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is issuing this global advisory because every hate crime, every terrorist act, every anti-Jewish social media blitz, impacts Jews everywhere, whether the incident is in Melbourne, Amsterdam, or Los Angeles.”

The Adass Israel Synagogue was extensively damaged in the firebombing. Picture: Supplied

A member of the Jewish community staples a poster to the front of the damaged synagogue. Picture: AFP

Rabbi Cooper said the federal government had dropped the ball when it came to tackling a rising tide of anti-Semitism, saying measures such as funding more security measures for synagogues did not tackle the cause of the problem.

“Everything that happens locally has consequences globally,” he told the Herald Sun on Tuesday.

“This is not just a matter of money – this is a matter of approach and ensuring people who are behind these actions and movements are held accountable.

“The hope here is that Australia will start taking more proactive measures of accountability. Who is behind this? Who are the different groups?”

Israeli ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon visited the burnt out synagogue on Tuesday morning, saying he was “shocked” by the extent of the destruction.

“I can tell you that I am shocked after visiting the interior, the places that were attacked by terrorists, I’m shocked,” he said.

“I’m also very sad. But I’m encouraged by the strength of the (local Jewish) community. The president and the community leadership are strong, they are united and this synagogue will be open in the very near future.”

Mr Maimon declined to take wider questions from reporters.

Israeli Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon visited the Adass Israel Synagogue on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday insisted Jews were safe in Melbourne and implored people to continue visiting.

“Victoria remains a safe, secure place for people of all faiths to visit,” she said.

A joint counter terrorism team is now hunting the suspects behind Friday’s arson attack after Victoria’s top cop declared the blaze a terrorist act.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton on Monday revealed three arsonists were believed to be involved in the attack, which gutted one of Australia’s busiest synagogues.

“We have had a terrorist attack on that synagogue,” Mr Patton said.

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

“When you have a crime like this that strikes at the fabric of the community, that is very, very concerning to us.