Wave of Antisemitic Attacks Strikes Melbourne with Synagogue Arson and Restaurant Protest

A series of antisemitic attacks unfolded in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday, July 4, 2025, culminating in the arson of a synagogue and a violent protest at an Israeli restaurant. These episodes have ignited anger and disapproval from authorities and community leaders as well. Around 8 p.m. local time, a man set the door of the…

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Wave of Antisemitic Attacks Strikes Melbourne with Synagogue Arson and Restaurant Protest

A series of antisemitic attacks unfolded in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday, July 4, 2025, culminating in the arson of a synagogue and a violent protest at an Israeli restaurant. These episodes have ignited anger and disapproval from authorities and community leaders as well.

Around 8 p.m. local time, a man set the door of the synagogue on Albert Street on fire. That was a sociological tipping point that kicked off the first uprising. At the time of the attack, there were roughly 20 people inside the synagogue enjoying a Shabbat dinner. The suspect first poured an accelerant onto the entrance door before starting the fire and leaving the area. Fortunately, no one was injured and firefighters were able to extinguish the small fire within a few minutes.

Later that night, a mob of about 20 protesters forced their way into an Israeli-owned restaurant on Hardware Lane. According to eye-witness reports, the protesters shouted things like “Death to the Israeli army” as they marched toward the restaurant. This restaurant has been a prior target of pro-Palestinian activists. Besides storming the restaurant, suspects ramped up their attacks by spray-painting cars and businesses in the area, adding to the mayhem.

A third fire was reported early Saturday morning in Greensborough, where three vehicles were burned around a business. In a related oddity, authorities arrested a 28-year-old for endangering law enforcement when they were in their emergency response to these riots. The suspect has since been released on a summons.

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Nicholas Reece, expressed deep concern over the attacks, stating, “I cannot condemn this sort of behavior in stronger terms… this is a city of peace and tolerance, and we will not stand for this.”

Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan condemned the acts of violence, describing them as “designed to shatter…peace and traumatize Jewish families.” She emphasized the significance of the timing, noting, “That it happened on Shabbat makes it all the more abhorrent.” Allan further stated, “Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of anti-Semitism.”

Local community leaders and public officials are taking action to address the spike in violence. They are calling for the public to increase their awareness and defense of the Jewish community in Melbourne. As anger builds, city residents and leaders alike are asking how such incidents might impact relationships between the city’s predominantly black and white city and its increasingly diverse suburbs.

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