| 2024 Melbourne synagogue attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of alleged2024 Iranian operations inside Australia | |
| Location | 37°52′33″S144°59′45″E / 37.8758°S 144.9959°E /-37.8758; 144.9959 Adass Israel Synagogue,Ripponlea, Victoria, Australia |
| Date | 6 December 2024 (2024-12-06) 4:10 a.m.[1] (AEDT;UTC+11:00) |
| Target | The synagogue building, and members of the congregation[verification needed] |
Attack type | Arson attack |
| Weapon | Petrol |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrators |  Iran‑sponsoredAt least three unknown perpetrators[2] |
| Motive | Antisemitism |
Destruction of the building Injury of one congregation member Victoria Police declare the incident a terrorist attack on 9 December. Counter-terrorism units of theAustralian Federal Police and Victoria Police search for perpetrators. | |
On 6 December 2024, at approximately 4:10 am local time, an arsonterrorist attack took place at the Adass Israel Synagogue of Melbourne inRipponlea, a suburb ofMelbourne, Australia.[3] The resulting fire injured one member of the synagogue and caused significant damage to the building. Investigation of the attack was assigned to theAustralian Federal Police's counter-terrorism unit. On 9 December 2024, Victoria Police stated the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack.[4] The perpetrators of the attack reportedly used anaccelerant and followed by spreading that throughout the interior of the building with a broom before lighting the accelerant fluid.[3]
On 26 August 2025, Australian Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese announced thatASIO have determinedIran was allegedly involved in planning the attack.[5] The attack was one of multiple2024 Iranian operations inside Australia.
The targeted synagogue in the December 2024 attack was theOrthodox Adass Israel Synagogue of Melbourne, located inRipponlea,Victoria. It was built in 1965, designed byErnest Fooks,[6] and opened on 19 September 1965.[7] It is part of the Adass Israel Congregation, aJewish group inMelbourne that traces its origins to a split in theElwood Talmud Torah Hebrew Congregation in 1939/1940. Some of its early members were boys and men who had been sent to Australia by the British on the infamousDunera in 1941.[7][8]
According to Philip Zajac, President of theJewish Community Council of Victoria, the Adass Israel congregation is apolitical with regards to theState of Israel.[9]When the sounding electoral boundaries were reviewed,[a] one of the discussion papers presented stated that "Adass Israel’s political interests differ considerably in many ways" compared to neighbouring Jewish communities in Melbourne, and "Of particular note is the non-Zionist nature of the Adass Israel community; indeed it has ties to groups that are openly anti-Zionist".[10][11]
The Synagogue was previously vandalised in 1989,[12] and it was severely damaged in an arson attack on 1 January 1995.[7]The synagogue had last been the subject of anarson in 1995, in which all the Torah scrolls were kept safe from the fire.[13][14] In that case, police did not find any evidence that antisemitism or racism motivated the crime.[15][16]
The 2024 arson attack at Adass Israel Synagogue took place in a period where theAustralian Government's National Terrorism Threat Level was atprobable after being raised in August 2024, indicating that there is a greater than 50% chance of a terrorist attack or attack planning taking place in Australia's near future.[17][18] The threat level had previously been atprobable level since shortly afterNovember 2015's Paris terror attacks until 2022 when it was lowered topossible.[18]
Following theGaza war succeeding theOctober 7 attacks, vandalism and intimidation directed atsynagogues occurred at various locations in Australia.In an incident occurring on 8 October 2023, inNew South Wales (a neighbouringstate to the North ofVictoria), two individuals walked past a synagogue and shouted “Allahu Akbar”, before saying that they would “blow up the synagogue”.[19] On 11 October 2023, in Melbourne, a synagogue received a bomb threat.[20] On 23 November 2023, inWestern Australia, an individual threw two glasses of red paint at a synagogue.[19] In December 2023, hoax bomb threats were made to several synagogues across Australia.[19] On 26 November 2024, aChabad synagogue in St Kilda, Melbourne was vandalised with pro-Palestinian and antisemitic graffiti.[21]
In the early hours of 6 December 2024, two masked men entered the Adass Israel Synagogue of Melbourne inRipponlea.[3] The men began pouring anaccelerant on the floor and spreading it throughout the interior of the building with a broom when they were disturbed by a congregant who was attending the synagogue.[22][23] The two perpetrators set the accelerant alight just before 4:10 am and fled the scene in a stolenVolkswagen Golf.[24] The fire spread quickly causing extensive damage to the inside of the synagogue and collapsing part of the roof.[22] One member of the synagogue sustained minor injuries to his hands in the fire.[25][26]
Dozens of emergency service crews, including 65 firefighters, were called to Synagogue shortly after the blaze first started. Firefighters spent more than an hour containing the blaze.[26][27] A crime scene was established after the fire had been put out and members of the synagogue where allowed to enter in the afternoon of 6 December 2024 to retrieve theTorah scrolls, holy books,tallits,tefillin, other artefacts and some personal items.[22]
On 9 December, in the wake of the synagogue attack, the AFP established Taskforce Avalite to investigateantisemitism in Australia.[28][29] TheAustralian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) also announced it would be assisting the taskforce in its investigation.[28] Following the incident, police in Canberra increased patrols around synagogues in the nation's capital.[30] The Sydney Jewish community organised a demonstration on 15 December 2024, atMartin Place, protesting the Australian government's inadequate response to antisemitism.[31][32][33] On 17 December 2024, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced new measures impacting public protests as part of an effort to prevent antisemitic behaviour.[34][35] The proposed laws would establish safe access in close proximity to places of worship and prohibit disturbances of religious gatherings.[36] There are ongoing investigations on some of the reported antisemitic attacks.Anthony Albanese suggested that the attacks may have involved actors without ideological commitment being funded externally.[37][38][39]
On 16 July 2025, the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCCT) arrested and charged a 20-year-old man inWilliamstown over the theft of the blue Volkswagen Golf used in the arson attack. The Golf had previously been used in another arson attack at the Lux nightclub inSouth Yarra in November 2024 and an arson and shooting inBundoora on the same night as the synagogue attack.[40][41][42]
Two men had been arrested previously in relation to the Lux nightclub fire on 15 May 2025, with a police spokesperson indicating after the arrest, that the two men were not directly involved in the synagogue attack and that the arson attack at Lux nightclub was not a political attack.[24]
Following the attack, Antoun Issa, a formerGuardian Australia journalist and chief of staff toGreens senatorMehreen Faruqi, made conspiratorial claims that the attack may have been a "false flag" perpetrated byZionists. Issa was reportedly reprimanded for his comments and was counselled over the statement.[43][44] A similar conspiratorial statement blaming aJewish conspiracy for the attack was made by Wissam Haddad (also known as Abu Ousayd), an Islamic preacher in Sydney who previously came under public scrutiny for antisemitic remarks.[45][46] The preacher's statement was criticised by the New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns.[47]
The targeting of Australian synagogues continued after the Melbourne incident with theSouthern Sydney Synagogue inAllawah vandalised on 10 January 2025.[48][49][50] The Southern Sydney Synagogue was previouslyfirebombed in 1991.[51] On 11 January 2025, the Newtown Synagogue in Sydney's Inner West was vandalised,[52][53][54] with the arsonists also attempting to set the synagogue on fire.[55]
On 4 July 2025, an unknown perpetrator attempted to setEast Melbourne Hebrew Congregation on fire by pouring a flammable liquid on the entrance and igniting it.[56][57]
On 26 August 2025, Australian Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese announced that ASIO determinedIran was allegedly involved in planning the attack. As a result,Iranian ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi was expelled from the country and Australia suspended operations of its embassy in Tehran. Australia also plans to list theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.[5]
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese said on a radio interview on 6 December that he was "outraged" at the attack. He revealed that he had been briefed that same day by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner, and that the attack was deliberate and CCTV footage had shown the two assailants spread an accelerant throughout the building with a broom before setting it alight.[58] Albanese also spoke to the government's special envoy for antisemitism,Jillian Segal, on 6 December.[59] On 8 December, Albanese stated the incident was "quite clearly" an act of terrorism, and announced A$32.5 million in federal funding for security upgrades to Jewish schools and community centres.[60][61] Other governmental bodies to condemn the incident included theAustralian Human Rights Commission, which stated: "Antisemitism is abhorrent. It is a form of racism which has no place in Australia. This attack is the latest incident in a trend of significant rises in antisemitism."[62] In response to the government's condemnation of the attack and the establishment of the dedicated police taskforce,Jillian Segal, Australia's Special Envoy on Antisemitism, pointed to the lack in serious penalties applied to individuals arrested in related events, such as those flying prohibited flags, and that it has set a tone of permissiveness in Australian society.[63]
Premier of VictoriaJacinta Allan condemned the attack as an "evil antisemitic attack".[64] On 6 December, at a press conference in front of the synagogue, Allan pledged A$100,000 from the state government to fund the rebuilding of the synagogue.[65] While at the site, the premier was heckled by local Jewish residents.[66] Allan returned unannounced to the site several days later where she was shown the portion of the site destroyed by the firebombing.[67] Similarly, the incident was condemned by local elected officials.[68][69]
FederalLeader of the Opposition,Peter Dutton, said the attack was abhorrent, and that it was to be expected due to what he sees as a lack of compassion for the Jewish people from the Albanese government.[70] Dutton also stated that the funding announced by the federal government on 8 December should be allowed to be used to fund armed guards for Jewish schools and community centres.[61]
TheExecutive Council of Australian Jewry called for the Australian government to address the incident with action and not merely words, stating "“We ask you, Prime Minister, to reflect on how this has been allowed to occur. We ask you to reflect on how the conditions in which a synagogue can be set alight have been allowed to develop. Your words swiftly condemning the attack were heard by our community. However, the time for mere words has long passed. We now call for action."[71] The Jewish Community Council of Victoria condemned the attack; JCCV CEO Naomi Levin stated: “We were absolutely shocked, but not surprised, to hear that a synagogue here in Melbourne had been attacked overnight. The Jewish community has been warning about an unacceptable rise in antisemitism for more than a year. We hoped it would never come to this, but today, our fears have been realised.”[72] TheJewish Council of Australia issued a statement condemning the attack, stating, "This reprehensible act of violence is an attack not only on the synagogue but on Jewish communities more broadly."[73] The Jewish Council also condemned efforts by a senior staffer from theAustralian Greens to label the attack as afalse flag, as the claim would only deepen antisemitic sentiment.[74] TheAustralian Jewish Association released a statement in which they felt 'outraged' but not surprised due to their view that Australian Jews had been abandoned by theAlbanese government.[3]
The attack was condemned by the Victorian Multicultural Commission's multifaith advisory group, stating: "Places of worship hold profound meaning for people of faith. The right to feel safe and free to worship in these sacred spaces is fundamental and must be respected and protected. We stand together to promote understanding, respect and harmony among all faith communities and people of goodwill. We assure them of our loving prayers and meditation."[75] Separately, theCatholic Archdiocese of Melbourne condemned the attack, stating that "A peaceful place of worship has been violated—nothing can justify such violence. Antisemitism has no place in our society. We stand in prayerful solidarity with members of the Jewish community at this time."[76][77] And theAustralian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) condemned the attack, stating: “Such acts of hatred and violence must be met with a swift and firm response from law enforcement. We urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”[78] Nationally, the attack was condemned by theNational Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA), stating: "It is for all of us to step up as peacemakers and commit to upholding the safety and harmony of our multi-cultural and multi-faith society in Australia."[79] And the event was described in a statement byAnglican Archbishop of Sydney, who condemned an antisemitic attack in Sydney, stating: "The latest attack on the Jewish community in Sydney is egregious, cowardly and despicable. All people of good will, faith or none, will condemn this outrage. It follows the terrorist attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne, and more than a year of increasing hostility and intimidation of the Australian Jewish community in multiple, grotesque ways."[80]
On 7 December, former Liberal MPJosh Frydenberg and formerLabor senatorNova Peris called at a press conference for the federal government to declare the event a terrorist attack.[81] Frydenberg said that Jewish Australians were now talking openly about leaving the country and that young Jews are forced to conceal their faith and ethnicity for fear of attack. Peris called the attack 'totally deplorable'.[81] Other civic and religious groups to condemn the attack included a group of eighteenTurkish-Australian religious and secular organisations from New South Wales,[82] and theHuman Rights Law Centre.[83]
Prime Minister of IsraelBenjamin Netanyahu criticised the Albanese government following the incident, linking the event to Australia's position on the Middle East.[84] PresidentIsaac Herzog said that he has spoken with Albanese about the attack, and had told Albanese that the recent antisemitic attacks required 'strong and firm action'.[84]
On 10 December 2024, theSimon Wiesenthal Center issued a travel warning for Jews visiting Australia, advising them to exercise "extreme caution" and that they were "not convinced that Jews are safe [in Australia]".[85]
Six members of the UK Parliament sponsored a motion for the parliament to condemn the arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue and to acknowledge that trends of antisemitism have also unfolded in the UK. The motion calls on the UK government to address antisemitism both at home and abroad and to provide funding to secure synagogues and Jewish schools.[86]
Although the Adass synagogue was damaged by fire in 1995 this was not linked to anti-Semitism.
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