On Friday morning, masked anti-Israel assailants firebombed a synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, with worshipers still inside.
More than 60 firefighters and 17 firetrucks from Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) were called to the scene at roughly 4:10 a.m. local time, where they discovered the synagogue “engulfed in flames,” according to the Jerusalem Post. These first responders “worked tirelessly” to get the fire under control within just one hour.
Terrorists in Melbourne, Australia poured petrol on top of a synagogue and set it ablaze while Jews were still inside.
Two people were taken to the hospital for severe burns.
They’re burning Jews alive, again, just like on Oct 7.
— The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) December 6, 2024
Speaking with the Australian newspaper “The Age,” synagogue board member Benjamin Klein explained that the worshipers had “heard banging on the door and the window, and some liquids came through which were lit.”
“The whole thing took off pretty quickly,” he added.
The incident also caused extensive damage to the building, furnishings, and holy items. Klein explained that holy books and furniture were destroyed, but vowed that the community would “rebuild.”
Masked men just tried to burn Jews alive inside a synagogue in Melbourne. Australia has seen some of the most vile antisemitism in the past year I’ve ever seen. The disease has spread across the West. We are in a global emergency. pic.twitter.com/z9Xrly2lTH
— Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) December 5, 2024
The worshipers were able to flee the synagogue before it went up in flames, with only one person injured. They had been attending morning prayers at the time and had seen the masked assailants throwing the firebombs.
Congregation members did not just run from the chaos though, as they reportedly formed a human chain to remove religious items from the burning synagogue, including Torah scrolls — even one that had been brought to Australia from Germany during World War II, according to the report from The Age.
Klein also told the outlet that the synagogue had been increasing its security within the last year due to safety concerns, though he did not provide further details about those concerns.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also spoke out about the “act of hate.”
“We know that two people were seen spreading some sort of fluid to encourage a fire and were spreading it with brooms, CCTV footage will need to be examined,” the prime minister said.
“To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values,” Albanese added. “To attack a synagogue is an act of anti-Semitism. It’s attacking the right that all Australians should have to practise their faith in peace and security.”
