Synagogue fire, ugly restaurant confrontation spark mixed response from advocates
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said the broader pro-Palestinian movement disavowed the attacker, but resented being asked to explicitly condemn the synagogue fire, saying holy sites in Gaza had been relentlessly attacked.
'Whoever you are... you should know that we know that the only thing stopping you attacking a church or a mosque is that it's not quite opportune.
'You are not part of us, you are not part of our movement. We disavow you absolutely, entirely and completely. And I hope the police catch up with you soon.'
Mashni, who is currently travelling in the United Kingdom, made the comments after the front doors of the East Melbourne synagogue were set on fire as families gathered for their weekly Shabbat dinner.
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A man from Sydney has been charged over the attack.
The same evening there were ugly scenes in the CBD when Israeli restaurant Miznon was stormed by a group of people chanting 'Death to the IDF', leading to one man from Footscray being arrested at the scheme.
Separately, a building in Greensboro that houses a military parts manufacturer was also daubed with red paint on Friday evening.
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The demonstrators waved Israeli flags, chanted and carried posters with photos of the hostages. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza's health ministry says Israel's retaliatory military assault on the enclave has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians. with AP
