‘Sheer luck it didn’t ignite’: Sydney close to Melbourne-style terror attack

Sydney came dangerously close to having its own Melbourne-style terror attack when an accelerant was used in an attempt to torch a synagogue, prompting grim warnings from Jewish leaders.

Southern Sydney Synagogue anti-Semitic graffiti Photo: Tom Parrish

An accelerant was used to try to torch a Sydney synagogue in what police say is an escalation in anti-Semitic crime, prompting Jewish leaders to warn it was only “sheer luck” it did not ignite and that the city is dangerously close to having its own Melbourne-style terror attack.

Counter-terrorism officers have been called in to hunt down two people who were captured on CCTV spray-painting red swastikas on Newtown Synagogue before trying to burn down the holy building using a clear liquid on Saturday.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed on Sunday the accelerant had been used, blasting that feature of the attack as an “escalation in the level of criminality”, while Premier Chris Minns said: “There is never any justification for this kind of racist, anti-Semitic, targeted attacks on members of our community”.

Anti-Semitic attack on the Newtown Synagogue, Sydney. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

The incident in Newtown – in which a fire burnt for about three minutes before going out – comes only weeks after the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne was gutted by fire in an arson attack in which an accelerant was used.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin, who lives in Sydney, told The Daily Telegraph that the Newtown incident was an “attempt to burn down a second Australian synagogue” and it is “sheer luck no one was killed”.

“The attack on the Newtown synagogue was not merely racist vandalism but an attempt to burn down a second Australian synagogue, which means we have another terror incident on our hands,” Mr Ryvchin said.

Alex Ryvchin, Executive Council of Australian Jewry, labelled the attack in Newtown as terrorism. Picture: Tim Hunte

“The synagogue is one of the most historic buildings in that local area and the attempt to incinerate it is a heinous attack on our country by domestic terrorists intent on destroying the lives of Australians.

“It is sheer luck that nobody was killed – this is yet further evidence of a rapidly deteriorating state of national security.”

Synagogue President George Foster with members of the community outside the vandalised synagogue in Alawah. Photo: Tom Parrish

Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gergory said: “Police say that an accelerant was used to try to ignite the Newtown synagogue - it’s only by sheer luck that it didn’t ignite and failed and that we didn’t have another catastrophe on our hands similar to Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.”

National Council of Jewish Women Australia president Lynda Ben-Menashe said, had the place of worship gone up in flames, it would have been “repugnant to all Australians.”

The Newtown attack is only the latest in a series of incidents to hit Sydney in only a week.

On Friday, the Allawah synagogue in Sydney’s south was also vandalised with multiple spray-painted swastikas on its walls.

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Commissioner Karen Webb provided an update on investigations into antisemitic vandalism across Sydney. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

A defiant Mr Minns said he knew there would be someone in the community with information about that incident after police received no response to CCTV footage identifying two people they would like to speak in regards to it, as they believe they can assist with their inquiries.

“No one has come forward with information in relation who that person is,” he said.

“That image is very clear, it did identify that individual and there is someone out there in the community who knows who this person is and they have an obligation to report it to Crime Stoppers or NSW Police.

“This escalation is very concerning … There is never any justification for this kind of racist, anti-Semitic targeted attacks on members of our community.”

Originally published as ‘Sheer luck it didn’t ignite’: Sydney close to Melbourne-style terror attack