A fire which ripped through Melbourne’s Adass Israel synagogue is being treated as a likely terror attack, Australian police say.
Three suspects are being hunted over Friday’s early-morning blaze, which left one man with a minor burn to his hand and caused extensive damage.
Witnesses say they saw masked figures spreading what appeared to be an accelerant in the building, before setting it alight.
Victoria Police say they have no evidence that further antisemitic attacks are planned, but patrols are being increased to reassure the community.
After a meeting with Australian Federal Police and domestic spy agency Asio, the state police force said additional “intelligence” had led them to conclude the incident should be treated as a probable terror attack.
Commissioner Shane Patton said police had no information before the fire to suggest an arson attack was imminent.
He declined to provide any further details on the investigation while it continued.
Mr Patton’s declaration came a day after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as “quite clearly terrorism” while acknowledging police were still to make up their minds. He called his description a “personal view”.
On Monday, state Premier Jacinta Allan said the terror designation meant police would now have extra resources for their investigation.
Jewish community leaders have said they believe the attack is an escalation of a recent documented increase in antisemitism in Australia, and that it has heightened fears of violence.
A few worshippers were inside the building at the time of the fire, and have described hearing banging and seeing a window smash, before liquids were thrown inside and lit on fire.
“The whole thing took off pretty quickly,” synagogue board member Benjamin Klein, who spoke to witnesses, told The Age newspaper.
After officers at the scene were confronted by angry and scared worshippers on Friday, Mr Patton said police were focused on ensuring their safety.
“We have… extra police officers deployed in those areas where there are high numbers of Jewish persons living and congregating,” he said.
Allan also called for the city to rally behind its Jewish communities.
“We cannot let this conflict overseas continue to be a cloak for behaviour like [this].”
Albanese also on Monday announced a new federal strikeforce to investigate incidents of antisemitism.
The prime minister said a special response was needed to combat the rising threat, pointing to two other recent incidents – the vandalism of a Jewish MP’s office and an attack in Sydney in which a car was torched and buildings graffitied.
