As Australia continues to grapple with the aftermath of the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre
By Sammy,
As Australia continues to grapple with the aftermath of the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre, Jewish communities awoke to another shock Thursday when a car decorated with a "Happy Chanukah" sign was found burned outside a home in Melbourne.
The blaze erupted just before 3 a.m. on Balaclava Road in St. Kilda East, a district dense with Jewish schools and institutions. Victoria Police evacuated the home as a safety measure and confirmed that no one was injured. Officers said the fire is being treated as suspicious and that a person of interest has been identified.
Broadcast images showed the vehicle scorched from the inside, fueling suspicions that it was deliberately firebombed. Local rabbi Effy Block said the car belongs to a rabbi and his family, calling the attack clearly antisemitic and warning that Jews in Melbourne no longer feel secure even inside their own neighborhoods.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as "beyond comprehension," linking it to the same "evil ideology" that drove the Sydney shooting that left 15 people dead. Jewish security group CSG Victoria said it is coordinating with police and has raised patrol levels, while community leaders and MP David Southwick said the latest attack would deepen fear in a community still mourning its losses.
Topics: Israeli Politics
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.