Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has given a personal pledge to the Adass Israel Jewish community to provide whatever financial support they need to rebuild their synagogue destroyed in last Friday’s terror attack.
After being accused by senior Jewish community figures of abandoning them at a time of crisis – and copping a political backlash for playing tennis and attending a party fundraising event in Perth instead of travelling immediately to the scene of an antisemitic attack that has gained worldwide notoriety – Albanese visited the burnt-out husk of the synagogue on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits the Adass Israel synagogue on Tuesday.Credit: Justin McManus
Albanese donned a skullcap and was surrounded by more than 100 people, including congregants and media, outside the Ripponlea synagogue as he looked at the ruins. Police on Monday declared the arson attack a terror incident.
Albanese and Labor MP Josh Burns met with members of the synagogue, pushing through a crush of people in the laneway beside the synagogue to get inside and inspect the damage.
They were joined by Yumi Friedman, who was inside the building studying religious texts in the early hours of Friday when he heard what sounded like a sledgehammer slamming into the door and jumped from his seat, before fleeing the building.
Albanese’s security detail needed to clear a path for him as he left, and the scrum of people moved quickly, although several people were almost crushed in the kind of crowd normally seen during election campaigns.
Outside the synagogue, Albanese said the attack was “an act of terrorism, it was fuelled by antisemitism, and it was stoked by hatred”.
He also called for Australians to unite after the attack.
“One of the things that we spoke about inside with the community leaders was the fact that people have come to Australia because we are a country that is peaceful,” he said.
“We are a country that respects people of different faiths and are enriched by our diversity here.
“I also want to commit, on behalf of my government that I lead, into doing what we need to do to restore this synagogue, including providing whatever support is necessary financially to make sure that those who perpetrated this evil crime do not receive any benefit and indeed get the message that Australia is not a country that will tolerate such an act.”
As the prime minister left, after a 45-minuite stay, a woman yelled at him: “Your words are cheap and late.”
A man who did not appear to be part of the Adass congregation called out: “Nice day for tennis.” He then sniggered and moved into the crowd.
His comment referred to a report in The Australian that Albanese played tennis in Perth on Saturday rather than travel to Melbourne to visit the synagogue.
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