Melbourne Antisemitic Firebombing Sparks Renewed Demands for Royal Commission Investigation

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Antisemitism must be treated as a public safety issue, says a Jewish leader, as authorities hunt for a suspect behind an alleged hate-related firebombing in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

No one was inside the vehicle at the time, but the home’s occupants had to be evacuated as a precaution.

Police are investigating the suspicious fire and have identified a person who may be able to assist with inquiries.

The recent attack aimed to intimidate Jews simply for their visible identity, stated Jeremy Leibler, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia.

Reacting to this latest suspected antisemitic incident in Melbourne, Jeremy Leibler has urged for a royal commission to be set up. He emphasized the need for serious action in light of these events. Source: AAP / James Ross

“This is not what any family, street or community deserves to wake up to on Christmas Day in Australia,” she said on social media.

“We have a duty to this community: to ensure their families are safe and feel safe right now, and to work long-term in a serious effort to drive anti-Semitism and hate out of our state.”

“Following the incident in Bondi and numerous threats and investigations nationwide, it’s crucial for Australia to regard antisemitism as a public safety issue rather than a concern limited to a specific community,” Leibler asserted.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan received a briefing on the incident where a car, used to share Hanukkah and festive joy, was firebombed. The community, with valid reasons, fears this to be an antisemitic act.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the apparent firebombing attack was “beyond comprehension”.

“What sort of evil ideology and thoughts at a time like this would motivate someone? We know that there is evil presence,” he said on Thursday.

But the prime minister has resisted calling a federal royal commission into the Bondi attack, instead backing a NSW inquiry and prioritising a quicker but more limited review of intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Hate speech reforms and an overhaul of ministerial powers to cancel or reject visas for sowing division or potentially inciting violence are also on the agenda.

The Victorian government has promised to follow NSW’s footsteps to crack down on hate crimes and grant police the power to veto protests after designated terror attacks.