The federal government has been accused of emboldening those who wish Jewish Australians harm as police consider designating a synagogue firebombing as a terrorist attack.
The firebombing at Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue is being investigated by Victoria Police and a counter-terrorism squad, who will take part in a meeting with Australian Federal Police on Monday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said over the week that he personally believed it had hallmarks of an act of terror, saying anti-Semitism has no place in Australia.
But former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who is a member of Melbourne’s Jewish community, claimed “the government’s weakness (in calling out anti-Semitism) has emboldened those who hate and emboldened those who harm”.
“It’s clearly a terrorist attack under the legislation, it’s a house of worship, so it’s a religiously motivated attack,” he told Nine’s Today Show on Monday.
“There were people inside who could have been killed in this firebombing, and it was, of course, designed to intimidate and cause harm so it’s a terrorist attack.”
Asked if it was an act of terror, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is a member of the Jewish community, said that as the minister responsible for the Australian Federal Police it was important that the force be allowed to make the determination rather than politicians.
“This was an event that struck fear into the hearts of everybody in Melbourne across Australia, particularly causing fear and distress in the Jewish community,” he told ABC TV on Monday.
“I’ll be waiting to hear more from Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police after their meeting today.
“It’s always important that we let police do their work, we let commonwealth agencies who are assisting Victoria Police in their work to do just that and let them make the announcements.”
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said political leaders can call it a terrorist incident without impeding the official process.
“It’s hard to think of what else it could be when two masked men, allegedly in the middle of the night, turned up with a sledgehammer, a broom and an accelerant, and set on fire a synagogue while there were Jews inside praying,” he told ABC radio.
“Even the prime minister has now conceded there’s no problem with any political leader sharing her opinion and calling this out for what it is – that doesn’t in any way impede the process that police will go through.”
Mr Dreyfus called for unity rather than “partisan bickering” after the government on Sunday announced an extra $32.5 million in funding over the next 18 months to improve security measures to protect the Jewish community.
“I have experienced levels of anti-Semitism, as has every Australian Jew, like we have never experienced it before in our lives,” he said.
“That’s got to stop, and it’s not a time for finger-pointing, it’s not a time for cheap criticisms.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has written to the prime minister asking him “to reflect on how this has been allowed to occur”.
“Your words swiftly condemning the attack were heard by our community,” it said in the letter revealed on Sunday.
“However, the time for mere words has long passed. We now call for action.”
The council asked for emergency security funding, mandatory national anti-Semitism education in schools, a direction to police to strictly enforce laws and put in place further laws for universities to protect students.
It wants Mr Albanese to “review the government’s rhetoric and public statements on anti-Semitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.
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