Australia PM says suspected synagogue arson appears to be terrorist act

Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that suspected arson at a Melbourne synagogue appeared to be an act of terror, a day after his Israeli counterpart said the Labor government had motivated the crime with anti-Israel policies.

"The atrocities that occurred at the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community and therefore from my personal perspective certainly fulfil that definition of terrorism," Albanese said at a press conference in Perth.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the Adass Israel synagogue blaze, which broke out early on Friday, could not be separated from the "anti-Israel spirit" of Albanese's centre-left government whose policies include support of a recent U.N. motion backing a Palestinian state.

Australia's government defended its record on antisemitism, saying on Saturday that since Albanese took office in May 2022 the government has provided A$25 million to upgrade security at Jewish sites including schools, banned the Nazi salute and taken action against hate speech.

Laws passed last year also banned public displays of terror group symbols.

Police are still looking for two people suspected of deliberately starting the fire that injured one and caused widespread damage.

Australia has experienced a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023. Some Jewish groups have said the government has not done enough in response.

Dozens of pro-Palestine protests over the past year have been largely peaceful. However, the government has expressed concern that protests could inflame community tension and disrupt social harmony.