Australia forms anti-hate task force after synagogue arson and restaurant attack amid surge in antisemitism

As part of broader efforts to curb extremism, officials are looking for expert input while preparing legislation to ban face coverings, the public display of extremist symbols, and protest tools that hinder police enforcement.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

Australia is launching a new anti-hate task force after a synagogue in Melbourne was targeted in an arson attack Friday night while worshipers were inside, amid a surge in antisemitic incidents across the city.

Victoria state Premier Jacinta Allan announced that the newly established task force — made up of state and city officials, including Victoria’s police minister and Melbourne’s mayor — will hold its first meeting this week, with Jewish community leaders invited to attend.

As the country faces a surge in anti-Jewish hate crimes following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre across southern Israel, the Australian government is ramping up its security response.

As part of broader efforts to curb extremism, officials are looking for expert input while preparing legislation to ban face coverings, the public display of extremist symbols, and protest tools that hinder police enforcement.

“Just as the fire came to the front door here of this synagogue, it was stopped. So too must we put a stop to antisemitism,” Premier Allan told reporters Monday outside the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, where 20 worshipers escaped unharmed during the arson attack.

“Not only does it have no place here in Melbourne and Victoria, it has no place anywhere,” the Australian official declared.

On Saturday night, local authorities arrested a 34-year-old Sydney resident in connection with the Shabbat prayer attack, charging him with multiple offenses, including criminal damage by fire.

In a separate incident on Friday, a group of around 20 protesters stormed a Jewish-owned restaurant, Miznon, in Melbourne’s central business district, vandalizing the property while shouting antisemitic slurs and offensive slogans.

According to local reports, the group chanted, “Death to the IDF,” the Israel Defense Forces, as they approached the restaurant, leaving customers frightened as protesters threw food, smashed windows, and overturned tables.

Shortly after the incident, police took a 28-year-old man into custody but released him pending further investigation as they work to identify other suspects.

On Sunday, Israeli Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressing “deep alarm” over the two latest antisemitic attacks in Melbourne, warning they “are not isolated incidents” and calling for urgent action to address the growing threat of antisemitism.

“This alarming climate is unfolding under your government’s watch — and is further legitimized by recent decisions to deny entry to former Israeli Minister Ayelet Shaked and Israel advocate Hillel Fuld. These choices are seen as discriminatory and embolden those who spread hate,” Chikli wrote.

“This is no longer a matter of rising tensions — it is a test of moral leadership,” the Israeli cabinet minister continued. “When synagogues are burned and Jewish businesses attacked in central Melbourne, silence sends a dangerous message: that Jewish safety is negotiable. That message is unacceptable.”

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the two incidents in Melbourne as “reprehensible” and “severe hate crimes.”

“The State of Israel will continue to stand alongside the Australian Jewish community, and we demand that the Australian government take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future,” Netanyahu said.

In a post on X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the “vile arson attack” on Melbourne’s historic synagogue and the violent assault on an Israeli restaurant, urging authorities to ensure the safety of their Jewish citizens.

“It is intolerable that in 2025, we are still faced with the chilling image of an attempt to burn Jews alive as they pray, and attacks on Jewish businesses,” Herzog said. “This is not the first such attack in Australia in recent months. But it must be the last.”

“Australian authorities must take all steps necessary to protect their Jewish citizens. Antisemitism is a stain on any society, and must be confronted with urgency and resolve,” the Israeli leader continued.