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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denounced the “evil presence” behind a suspected antisemitic firebombing as a Jewish leader urges decisive action to stamp out hate after the Bondi massacre.
Detectives in Melbourne are investigating a suspicious fire outside a local rabbi’s house in St Kilda East about 2.50am on Christmas Day.
Police said no one was inside the car, which had a Hanukkah-related sign on its roof, but the occupants of the house were evacuated as a precaution.
Detectives have identified a person who might be able to assist with their inquiries.
Albanese said in a statement that “federal authorities stand ready to assist”.
“Firebombing of a car in Melbourne is another terrible act of suspected antisemitism,” he said.
“This kind of hatred has no place in Australia and it needs to come to an end,” he remarked emphatically.
The Community Security Group (CSG), a Jewish protection group in Victoria, noted the presence on the car of the Chanukah symbol, a nine-branched candelabrum associated with Hanukkah celebrations.
It confirmed no community members had been hurt in the incident, and it remained in close contact with the police.
“CSG has already been operating at a heightened level with increased patrols and will continue to do so,” the group said in an Instagram post.
The latest incident showed what life was like for Australian Jews when hatred was allowed to spread, Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich said.
“Whether it’s the mass murder of 15 individuals or the firebombing of a vehicle, such acts are unacceptable,” he added.
