<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>334987</docID> <postdate>2024-12-10 14:25:00</postdate> <headline>Prime minister visits synagogue four days after attack</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-335019" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241210165078543129-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>Anthony Albanese has met with Jewish leaders at the firebombed Adass Israel Synagogue (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong><b>Kaitlyn Offer, Dominic Giannini </b></strong>and<strong><b> William Ton</b></strong></span></p> <p><strong>Anthony Albanese has been swarmed by a large crowd as he arrived at the burnt remains of the Adass Israel Synagogue, four days after a suspected terrorist attack.</strong></p> <p>The prime minister spoke to Jewish community leaders at the front of the Melbourne synagogue and read messages left outside the place of worship.</p> <p>The crowd of about 100 congregants, members of the community and media followed Mr Albanese as he walked around back where he and local MP Josh Burns went inside the synagogue to inspect the extent of the damage.</p> <p>His visit comes a day after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton visited the site and four days after fire ripped through the Ripponlea synagogue in Melbourne's southeast.</p> <p>Three people are on the run and terrorism investigators from Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police and spy agency ASIO are now in charge of the probe.</p> <p>Earlier on Tuesday Mr Albanese met in Canberra with Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal, who said the arson attack was the final straw in a terrible year for the Jewish community.</p> <p>"The rise in anti-Semitism is just completely unacceptable but what we need now is a co-ordinated response," Ms Segal said on Tuesday as she called for strong action.</p> <p>Jews are being told they are not safe in Australia and to "exercise extreme caution" if coming to the country after a suspected terror attack on a synagogue.</p> <p>The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organisation with consultative status at the United Nations and the Council of Europe as well as other governing bodies, issued the warning on Tuesday morning Australian time.</p> <p>The travel advisory is "a result of the failure of Australian authorities to stand up against persistent demonisation, harassment and violence against Jews and Jewish institutions in Australia".</p> <p>Jewish community leaders have vowed to rebuild the Adass Israel synagogue, after a firebombing. (Melissa Meehan / Caitlin Powell)</p> <p>Rabbi Abraham Cooper sent a letter to Australia's US ambassador Kevin Rudd to tell him of its decision and outrage Jewish Australians were being targeted by hate crimes.</p> <p>"We are not convinced that Jews are safe as the authorities have failed to take necessary measures to protect Jewish communities from increasingly belligerent and violent targeting by lslamists and other extremists," he said.</p> <p>He noted the Adass Israel Synagogue attack came within days of Australia voting for a UN resolution against Israel earlier in December.</p> <p>"Such a resolution, far from strengthening hopes for peace only emboldens those who seek Israel's demise, who demean Jewish history, and who hate Judaism, Zionism, and Zionists," he said.</p> <p><img class=" wp-image-334988" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241209118793927189-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500" /></p> <caption>The attack on a synagogue was declared a likely terror strike with three suspects wanted by police. (Con Chronis/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p>Israel itself has a level two threat on Australia advising travellers to increase precautionary measures since the fire at the synagogue at Ripponlea in Melbourne's southeast on Friday.</p> <p>Australia, meanwhile, has told its citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories due to the ongoing war in Gaza.</p> <p>Premier Jacinta Allan hit out at the threat warning, saying "Melbourne, and Victoria continues to be a good, strong, safe place to live and to visit".</p> <p>"Victoria Police have established operation Park, which is keenly focused on investigating incidences related to conflict in the Middle East," she said.</p> <p>But police have been criticised for being too slow to act against anti-Semitism as officers hunt the people who firebombed the synagogue.</p> <p>Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon also visited the synagogue on Tuesday and toured the wrecked building, saying he was shocked and saddened by the attack.</p> <p>Members of the community arrived throughout the morning to observe the fenced off synagogue, inspecting notes and bouquets of flowers left attached outside.</p> <p>In Queensland, a man is facing charges for allegedly making verbal threats in a social media post to a Victorian Jewish community centre on Saturday.</p> <p>Police found a 52-year-old man in the Yarraman State Forrest on Saturday night where he was arrested, and a mobile phone seized.</p> <p>Initial investigations indicate the man was not involved with the arson of a Synagogue in Victoria on December 6.</p> <p>https://citynews.com.au/2024/the-perfect-storm-that-fractured-relations-with-israel/</p> </body>