By Rachael Ward in Melbourne

Detectives have released images of a man they wish to speak to over a targeted fire attack at a synagogue that forced children and families to flee.

It happened the same night as an angry protest outside an Israeli restaurant and car fires outside a business previously targeted by demonstrators, prompting Jewish leaders to express deep safety concerns.

The violence started when a man doused the front of East Melbourne Synagogue in flammable liquid and set it alight about 8pm on Friday, police said.

The temple’s president Danny Segal, his wife Jenny and families including children were among those inside enjoying Shabbat dinner.

“Somebody saw smoke coming and some passers-by rang the bell and said there’s something going on,” he told reporters.

Everyone inside evacuated safely and firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.

Ms Segal said she was worried about what might have happened if the attacker got inside and children were frightened.

“They were pretty scared because they felt our fear and our shock,” she said.

A short time later, protesters gathered outside Israeli restaurant Miznon on nearby Hardware Lane.

Jewish leaders say they chanted “death to the IDF”, which stands for Israel Defence Forces.

Chairs were thrown, tables overturned and a window smashed as police tried to move them on, with one person arrested for hindering officers.

The third incident happened outside a business in Greensborough in the city’s northeast, where three cars were set alight and spray painted about 4.30am on Saturday.

Few details have been made public but Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan said the business was “subject to pro-Palestinian activity in the past” which is why it was included in the probe.

None of the incidents were declared terrorism but local police are working with counterterrorism officers to examine links.

Commander Dunstan characterised the events as serious criminal incidents.

“We do recognise that these crimes are disgusting and abhorrent but at this stage, we are not declaring this a terrorist incident,” she said.

“In the course of our investigation, we will examine the intent and the ideology of the persons involved, or person, to determine if this is in fact terrorism.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said anti-Semitic terror had returned.

“The anti-Semitism crisis is not only continuing but getting worse,” he said.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich said the diners were terrorised and Melbourne “stopped being a safe place for Jews” for one night.

The synagogue attack happened on Shabbat, a period of rest, which Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said made it even more abhorrent.

“This is disgraceful behaviour by a pack of cowards,” she said.

Opposition frontbencher David Southwick, who is Jewish, called the events in the city “domestic terrorism” and accused the state government of sitting on its hands

“Do we have to wait until actually somebody’s killed before the government says, right, now we’re going to act? I would hope not.”

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece visited the synagogue on Saturday morning and described the city as being one of peace and tolerance despite the terrible events.

It comes seven months after a devastating fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue in the city’s south forced people inside to flee.

Two of the synagogue’s buildings were destroyed in the early morning blaze and no charges have been laid, although counterterrorism police have raided multiple properties as part of that investigation.

The attacks follow disagreement between Australia’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism and NSW MPs over a call to ban pro-Palestine protests from city centres.

Jillian Segal gave evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on Friday and was pressed on previous statements labelling weekly demonstrations “intimidatory” and “sinister”.

Labor MP Stephen Lawrence suggested her comments were an “uncivil way to describe them and the people participating”.