Man charged with setting fire to synagogue in Australia
The 34-year-old allegedly set the front door of a busy Melbourne synagogue ablaze on Friday night as around 20 people ate dinner in observance of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.
PICTURE: Rabbi Dovid Gutnick speaks to the media next to the burnt front entrance of the East Melbourne Synagogue in Melbourne on July 6, 2025.
SYDNEY - A man suspected of setting fire to an Australian synagogue as worshippers ate dinner inside has been arrested and charged.
The 34-year-old allegedly set the front door of a busy Melbourne synagogue ablaze on Friday night as around 20 people ate dinner in observance of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.
The attack has drawn strong condemnation from the prime ministers of both Australia and Israel.
Victoria state police charged the man with a string of offences, including reckless conduct endangering life.
"Detectives will continue to examine the intent and ideology of the person charged to determine if the incident is in fact terrorism," police said in a statement.
The worshippers escaped unscathed through the back of the synagogue before firefighters doused the blaze.
Police said they were yet to find a link