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Facing criticism over anti-Israel policies, Australia’s PM denounces synagogue arson as ‘terrorism’

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says torching of Melbourne synagogue is an act of ‘terrorism,’ vows extra spending for Jewish schools, houses of worship.

By World Israel News Staff

Australia’s prime minister again condemned an arson attack on a synagogue, as part of a broader effort to shore up relations with the Australian Jewish community.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Labor) held a press conference in Perth, during which he called the torching of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne an act of “terrorism,” and touted his government’s measures over the past year to combat the rising tide of antisemitism in his country.

“If you want my personal view: quite clearly, terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community and 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 fulfill that definition of terrorism,” Albanese said during Saturday’s press conference.

“There has been a worrying rise in antisemitism,” Albanese acknowledged, but rejected accusations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linking Friday’s arson with the anti-Israel shift in Canberra’s policies under the Albanese government.

Albanese listed steps taken by his government to curb antisemitism, including appointing the country’s first antisemitism czar, banning Nazi symbols and the “Heil Hitler” salute, criminalizing doxxing, and earmarking an additional 32.5 million AUD for security at Jewish schools and synagogues.

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“Today we’ve announced new funding to boost security at Jewish community sites, including synagogues and schools,” Albanese tweeted on Sunday, with a video clip from Saturday’s press conference.

“Everyone has the right to be proud of who they are and to feel welcome, safe and supported in Australia. Antisemitism has no place in our country. We unequivocally condemn it.”

On Saturday morning, Albanese also visited a Perth synagogue during a Bar Mitzvah celebration, addressing a gathering of roughly 100 worshippers.

Albanese also released a statement Saturday calling the arson “un-Australian” and “despicable.”

The Albanese government has faced criticism from Israel, Australian Jewish leaders, and former lawmakers, who accused the prime minister of failing to confront antisemitism in Australia, and exacerbating tensions by adopting anti-Israel positions.

Last week, Australia’s United Nations delegation broke nearly a quarter century of precedent, voting in favor of a General Assembly resolution demanding Israel halt all settlement activity in Judea and Samaria, and to withdraw completely from the area, as well as Jerusalem, and to agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In November, Australia sparked out controversy, and drew criticism from the Israeli government, after it refused to grant an entry visa to former Israeli government minister Ayelet Shaked, citing her stances on the Gaza war and Palestinian statehood.

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Just ahead of the UN vote, and days before the Melbourne synagogue arson, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) issued a report which found a four-fold rise in antisemitism in Australia since October 7th, 2023.

On Friday, Israel’s prime minister linked the Albanese government’s actions to the rise in antisemitism, including the Melbourne synagogue arson.

“Sadly, this deplorable act cannot be viewed in isolation from the Labor government’s extreme anti-Israeli stance in Australia,” Netanyahu said. Anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism.”

Former Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, a member of the Liberal Party, and former senator Nova Peris, who represented the Labor Party, issued a joint call to Albanese to “step up” efforts against antisemitism.

“Prime Minister, how did you let it get to this,” Frydenberg said.

“Every single day, Australian Jews are being intimidated and harassed on our streets, in their workplaces and on our campuses.”