US Jewish Center Issues Travel Warning for Australia After Synagogue ‘Terror’ Firebombing

A member of the Jewish community staples a poster to the front of the damaged Adass Israel Synagogue in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea in Australia on Dec. 9, 2024. Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images

Jews around the world are being warned to take extreme caution when travelling to Australia following the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue.

The U.S.-based Simon Wiesenthal Center issued the travel advisory due to the “failure of Australian authorities” to stand up against antisemitism, pointing to issues like demonisation, harassment, and alleged violence against Jews and Jewish institutions.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper advised Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd of the decision in a letter.

“The Simon Wiesenthal Center is placing a travel advisory on Australia for Jews the world over considering travel to your country to exercise extreme caution,” the letter said.

“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 Islamists and other extremists.”

Rabbi Cooper said that especially since Oct. 7, and in recent years, Jews all over the world had been targeted by Islamists, pro-Hamas extremists, and people in the media and public life.

He added that, unfortunately, this included the dynamic Jewish communities in Australia, going on to explain the attack in Melbourne followed Australia’s recent vote at the U.N General Assembly on a resolution against Israel.

“This latest attack comes within days of Australia voting for a U.N. resolution demanding Israel revert back to its indefensible pre-1967 War borders,” Rabbi Cooper said.

“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.”

The U.N. resolution (pdf) calls for Israel to end its “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.”

Rabbi Cooper claimed, “In failing to act against the demonization of Jews, Israel and Zionism on the streets of Australian cities, the authorities have allowed violence against Jews and Israelis to be normalized.”

The Adassi synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne, was firebombed just after 4 a.m. on Dec. 6, with two people sent to hospital after individuals were seen allegedly pouring gasoline around the entrance.

Opposition and Labor MP Respond to Travel Warning

Meanwhile, in light of the U.S Jewish organisation’s travel warning, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Australia needed to fix its reputation with the Jewish community.

“Clearly we do; I think our reputation over the last 14 months, really, has been tarnished,” he said. when asked about the global travel warning on 3AW.

“I’ve got a lot of Jewish friends in Melbourne who are genuinely talking about the prospect of leaving Australia because they don’t feel safe here, they’re worried what would happen if there was a Labor-Greens minority government after the election, they’re worried about the level of anti-semitism in the country at the moment.”

“There’s been an absence of leadership when the clear message from the prime minister, premier, and others, [that] should have been that we have zero tolerance for antisemitism and the racism that we see expressed by the Greens and others, and there’s a consequence to pay.”

Meanwhile, Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns indicated that the terrorism declaration had influenced the center’s advice while also raising hope of a future resolution.

“Well, we are dealing with the consequences of antisemitism. This has been a historic week for all the wrong reasons and the declaration of a terror incident, a likely terror incident, has real consequences, so that’s obviously had an impact in the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s advice,” he told ABC.

“My hope is that we are able to get on top of this. All problems have solutions. All problems can be fixed. We have overcome antisemitism before and Australia has been a wonderful place for the Jewish community and I hope we get back to that as soon as possible.”

Prime Minister Visits Synagogue and Promises to Restore it

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Burns visited the synagogue in the afternoon on Dec. 10, where he committed to “do what we can to restore this synagogue.”

“This arson attack is an act of terrorism. We are a country that needs to come together and unite,” Albanese said.

“I want to thank the Rabbi and all the community leaders for the very warm welcome that they have given me today.”

The firebomb attack on the synagogue was transitioned to the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team for investigation on Dec. 9.

Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett declared to reporters, “This is now a terrorism investigation.”

“I want to thank Victoria Police investigators for the significant information they have gathered so far, which has helped lead us to believe that this is likely to be a politically motivated attack,” she added.

Meanwhile, the federal government also announced a special operation to deal with antisemitism on Dec. 9.

“Ending antisemitism requires work across governments, across police forces, and across communities,” Albanese said.

“It is the third arson attack after the attack on Josh Burns’ office and the Sydney Woollahra car incident.

“In response, the government has set up AFP Special Operation Avalite, a Commonwealth-led team that will work with state and territory police forces. Antisemitism has no place in Australia. We stand with Australia’s Jewish community.”