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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns ‘reprehensible' antisemitic Melbourne synagogue attack
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says an antisemitic attack on a Melbourne synagogue is 'reprehensible' and has demanded Anthony Albanese 'take all action' to end similar hate crimes. A 34-year-old man from New South Wales has been charged after allegedly entering the grounds of the East Melbourne Hebrew congregation on Albert Street at about 8pm on Friday and pouring a flammable liquid on the front door of the building, setting it on fire. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Two other potentially linked incidents, including an arrest after an incident between protesters and police at an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne's CBD, also took place overnight on Friday. 'I view with utmost gravity the antisemitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne, which included attempted arson of a synagogue in the city and a violent assault against an Israeli restaurant by pro-Palestinian rioters,' Netanyahu said via series of posts on X on Sunday morning. 'The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of 'Death to the IDF' and an attempt to attack a place of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted. 'The State of Israel will continue to stand alongside the Australian Jewish community, and we demand that the Australian government take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future.' Netanyahu was joined on social media by Israeli president Isaac Herzog, who overnight said via X that he 'condemn[ed] outright the vile arson attack targeting Jews in Melbourne's historic and oldest synagogue on the Sabbath' and that the attack must be Australia's 'last'. 'It is intolerable that in 2025, we are still faced with the chilling image of an attempt to burn Jews alive as they pray, and attacks on Jewish businesses,' he said, urging the government to confront the 'stain' of antisemitism with 'urgency and resolve'. Foreign minister for Israel, Gideon Sa'ar, said on Saturday via X that Israel 'stands firmly with the Jewish community in Australia' and that the Australian government 'must do more to fight this poisonous disease'. On Sunday, Tony Burke said the synagogue incident was an 'attack on Australia'. '[This] is not simply an arson attack, what matters here is there is an attack on Australia, an attack on Australian values. And we are here today in solidarity to stand together with the community,' the home affairs minister told reporters in Melbourne. He said the Israeli ambassador to Australia had called to thank him for heading to Melbourne in the attack's aftermath, where he met with community leaders and the synagogue's Rabbi Dovid Gutnick. Burke said authorities hadn't yet drawn links between the three incidents, but that the attacks were linked to 'bigotry'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion He was joined outside the synagogue by former attorney general and Jewish MP, Mark Dreyfus, and said he had twice been briefed by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) and the Australian federal police, and had spoken with the Victorian police commissioner and home affairs boss. The prime minister previously said the people responsible for the 'shocking acts must face the full force of the law'. Sarah Schwartz, executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, condemned the arson attack and said attacks on synagogues were 'attacks on the entire Jewish community', adding that the council stood in solidarity with those impacted. 'All people are entitled to practice their religion in safety, she told Guardian Australia on Sunday. She said the act of antisemitism had been 'used for political gain, to smear the Palestine solidarity movement'. 'These responses fuel division. We urge politicians not to engage in knee-jerk responses, and to instead support grassroots efforts between communities to combat racism.' The Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive, Alex Ryvchin, said the events were a 'severe escalation' and that the antisemitism crisis was 'getting worse'. 'Those who chant for death are not peace activists. Those who would burn houses of prayer with families inside do not seek an end to war. There is a violent ideology at work in our country that operates on the fringes of politics and social movements, that taps into anger and prejudice,' he said in a statement.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Human rights groups urge Victoria not to adopt NSW protest permit system in response to alleged antisemitic attacks
Human rights groups have urged the Victorian government to resist political pressure to adopt the New South Wales government's protest permit system in response to several antisemitic attacks on the weekend. The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has announced an 'anti-hate taskforce' after Friday's arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue, the targeting of an Israeli restaurant, the alleged vandalism of a company linked to Israeli-weapons and isolated but violent chants at a demonstration on Sunday. The taskforce, which will meet for the first time later this week, will allow senior ministers and law enforcement officials to consider how to further 'increase police powers to stamp out extreme and violent protest'. According to the premier, these powers would be in addition to the sweeping changes proposed by the state government in response to an arson attack on the ultra-orthodox Adass synagogue in Melbourne late last year. These include a ban on protests outside places of worship and a ban on face masks and balaclavas. 'We are currently drafting legislation to give police even more powers to crack down on extremist behaviour at protests,' Allan said. 'Part of the work of the taskforce will be to hear from Victoria police and others about what more we can consider.' On Sunday, the leaders of a pro-Palestinian protest rally in Melbourne's CBD condemned the violent attack on the synagogue. Some protesters were later heard chanting 'death, death to the IDF'. The same chant was allegedly used by those targeting the Israeli restaurant Miznon on Friday night. 'The behaviour we saw yesterday was particularly odious, hateful behaviour,' said Allan, who pledged to 'stamp out extremist behaviour at protests. It came what felt like only moments after the attack on a synagogue.' Jeremy Leibler, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, supported the Allan government's position and said more police powers may be warranted. 'If these protests continue to escalate, [the government] will be left with no choice but to introduce a more robust permit regime, like that in New South Wales that ensures freedom of expression doesn't come at the expense of community safety and cohesion,' Leibler said. 'This isn't just about Victoria versus NSW. It's about whether we allow extremists to dictate who feels safe in a liberal democracy.' The Executive Council of Australian Jewry's president, Daniel Aghon, has also called for the permit system in response to recent antisemitic attacks. In NSW, those granted a permit to protest after submitting an application to police are protected from being charged under the state's anti-protest laws or police move on powers. Since 2022, those protesting without a permit risk two years' imprisonment or a $22,000 fine if police issue a move-on order and protestors do not comply. Laws introduced this year also gave police new powers to issue move-on orders if a protest is taking place near a place of worship. Late last month Hannah Thomas, a former Greens candidate, was hospitalised after being arrested by police and faces losing vision in one eye. She claimed the new laws had 'emboldened' the police in interactions with protesters. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The Human Rights Law Centre urged the Victorian government not to adopt the NSW permit system, which it has described as 'draconian', 'anti-democratic' and 'repressive'. 'Misguided police powers and repressive laws against peaceful protesters do not keep communities safe from hate crimes and racism,' said the centre's legal director, Sarah Schwartz, who is also the chief executive of the progressive Jewish Council of Australia. 'Instead, they divide communities and create a dangerous and repressive environment for those raising their voices through peaceful assembly.' The president of the NSW Council of Civil Liberties, Timothy Roberts, said the potential for police to be granted further powers was 'deeply concerning'. 'The lesson from NSW that should be learned from is they have overreached, with devastating consequences in the overreach of police powers,' he said. When asked whether protest permits were necessary in Victoria, the shadow minister for police, David Southwick, said 'nothing should be taken off the table'. It is not known what further police powers the taskforce will consider. In a press conference on Monday, Allan did not reference protest permits but said her government would 'take any action necessary'. In October last year, Allan said the then chief commissioner of Victoria police Shane Patton had 'made pretty clear on previous occasions that he doesn't see there's a need for the permit system'. 'In my mind that runs the risk of being a very lengthy, unwieldy, time-consuming process for both the police force and the court system and it does not give a guarantee that each and every event would be undertaken peacefully,' Allan said.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Amazon Australia Prime Day 2025: Shop the early deals with big savings on devices
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Amazon Australia's 2025 Prime Day doesn't officially kick off until tomorrow with the sale running from 8th July through to 14th July with tens of thousands of products on sale. But the platform has launched some early Prime Day deals that you can take advantage of today, with huge savings on some of Amazon's most popular devices. You can score big discounts on Kindles, Ring cameras, Firesticks and Echo devices but the deals won't last long so you'll have to be quick to snap them up. The Amazon Prime Day sale will see huge discounts on big brands across all categories with sale items ranging from big ticket electronic items through to viral skincare buys, from baby essentials to gardening tools and fitness equipment too. There's something for everyone. We'll be bringing you the very best of the deals as they drop with a rolling deals list as well as sharing the biggest discounts on the most popular items. To take advantage of the deals you will need to be a Prime member so click here to join. Members can enjoy free, fast delivery on eligible products. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. 42% off This is the brand's most powerful 4K streaming stick. It boasts 16GB of storage and a powerful processor for lightening fast app starts you can stream, play or watch to your heart's content Was $119 NOW $69 Shop Echo Show 10 - 30% off Let Alexa make your life easier with the Echo Show 10. With HD smart display you can video call, watch shows, use the advanced home integration or just listen to music. Was $429 NOW £299 Shop
