Australian authorities have condemned an arson attack on a synagogue in melbourne that occured while worshipers were inside. the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

According to police reports, the fire erupted at the entrance of the synagogue, located east of the capital of Victoria, on Friday evening. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, and no injuries were reported among the twenty people present in the synagogue.

Police believe the attacker poured a flammable liquid on the front door and ignited it. The suspect is described as a white man in his thirties, but has not yet been identified.

Political Response

“Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish worship is a useful act of Semitism,”

Following the attack, officials have voiced their condemnation. “There is no place in our society to anti -Semitic behaviour or hatred,” stated a representative from the Australian government.

The Prime Minister of Victoria, Jacinta Alan, stated, “any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish worship is a useful act of Semitism.”

This incident follows another attack on a Jewish synagogue in Melbourne seven months prior, where a fire caused significant damage.