Australia Arson attack on a rabbi's car in Melbourne
A week and a half after the terrorist attack during the Jewish festival of lights Hanukkah in Sydney, a suspected anti-Semitic arson attack has been carried out in the Australian coastal metropolis of Melbourne. In the St Kilda East district, a rabbi's car with a "Hanukkah" sign on the roof went up in flames during the night, according to Australian media reports citing the police. The car was parked in front of the man's home and he and his family were taken to safety after the incident.
25.12.2025, 08:08
SDA
No one was injured - but in view of the terrible memories of the massacre on Bondi Beach, which left 15 people dead, it was not only the Jewish community in Melbourne that reacted with horror. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke of an "incomprehensible" act and once again called for a united fight against hatred and anti-Semitism. "What kind of evil ideologies and thoughts are these that drive someone at a time like this?" he said at an event in Sydney to mark Christmas, which is traditionally celebrated in Australia on December 25.
Pictures from the scene in Melbourne show a sign with the words "Happy Chanukah!" (Happy Hanukkah) on the roof of the fire-damaged car parked in the driveway in front of the rabbi's house. However, the security authorities did not immediately want to commit themselves to a clear motive for the crime. "The criminal investigation department has identified a person who could help with the investigation," said a police statement quoted by the media. "The investigation into the incident is ongoing." There was initially no mention of an arrest.
Drastic increase in anti-Semitic crimes
According to the Australian Special Representative for Combating Anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic incidents have increased dramatically since the attack on Israel by Palestinian terrorists in October 2023 and the subsequent start of the Gaza War. More than 2,000 cases have been reported across the country in the twelve months since then alone - including threats, intimidation attempts, violent attacks and damage to property.
In December 2024, an anti-Semitically motivated arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne made headlines, for which the Australian security authorities blamed Iran. The metropolis in the southern state of Victoria is considered the center of the Jewish community in Australia, to which around 120,000 people belong. Many of them accuse the government of serious failures in the fight against anti-Semitism. Following the attack in Sydney, Albanese promised a rigorous crackdown on all forms of hostility towards Jews in Australia.
