Australia: Coordinated Anti-Jewish Attacks Rock Melbourne: Synagogue Torched, Israeli Restaurant Vandalized by Mob

A violent night unfolded in Melbourne on Friday when an anti-Israel mob attacked an Israeli-owned restaurant, and a historic synagogue was set on fire—both incidents occurring within minutes and just blocks apart. Authorities are investigating the events as potential hate crimes amid a sharp rise in anti-Jewish violence across Australia.

Restaurant Attack: “Death to the IDF” Chants Accompany Vandalism

At approximately 8:30 p.m. local time, around 20 masked individuals stormed Miznon, a popular Israeli restaurant located in central Melbourne. Witnesses reported the attackers chanted “Death to the IDF” while hurling furniture and food through the establishment’s windows, shattering glass and endangering patrons dining inside and outside. The phrase echoes the same violent anti-Israel slogans chanted by British rap group Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury Festival days earlier.

Police declare Miznon Hardware Lane crime scene after protesters clash with restaurant over alleged ties to American-Israeli aid group implicated in killings. Many arrests. This is a developing story pic.twitter.com/Gp30uIUkdg

— Alex Zucco (@zucco_alex) July 4, 2025

Miznon is co-owned by Israeli chef Shahar Segal, who has also served as a spokesperson for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—an initiative backed by Israel and the United States, but criticized by the UN and other NGOs for allegedly endangering Gazans by requiring them to cross into IDF-controlled zones to receive aid.

Police arrested a 28-year-old protester at the scene and detained several others for questioning. Authorities confirmed they have identified all suspects present and will pursue further investigations.

Arson Attack on Synagogue: Congregation Evacuated Just in Time

Roughly 30 minutes before the Miznon attack, a man entered the grounds of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, poured flammable liquid on the synagogue’s front door, and set it ablaze. Security footage captured the incident, and police say the suspect remains at large.

Suspected arson at this synagogue in East Melbourne. FRV say they received triple zero calls around 8pm last night. More to come #7NEWS @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/rbYZwlANF1

— Jacqueline Stanley (@jacstanley7) July 4, 2025

At the time of the attack, about 20 people were inside the synagogue. Fortunately, all were able to evacuate without sustaining any injuries. Firefighters arrived quickly and managed to contain the flames, limiting the damage to the synagogue’s entrance.

The East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation is one of the city’s oldest synagogues and a cornerstone of the local Jewish community.

Surge in Antisemitism Across Australia

Friday’s twin attacks come amid a disturbing nationwide surge in antisemitism. According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), more than 2,000 anti-Jewish incidents occurred in Australia between October 2023 and September 2024—a fourfold increase compared to the year prior to Hamas’s October 7 Islamic massacre in southern Israel, which triggered the current Gaza war.

In recent months, Australia’s Jewish community has reported:

• Firebomb attacks on synagogues, homes, and Jewish schools
• Hospital staff threatening to kill Jewish patients
• A trailer filled with explosives believed to be intended for an attack on a Sydney synagogue

Australia is home to approximately 120,000 Jews, many of whom now feel unsafe amid the growing climate of hostility and violence.

Ongoing Investigation and Community Response

Police are continuing to review surveillance footage from both crime scenes and have pledged to increase patrols near synagogues and Israeli-linked businesses. Jewish community leaders are calling for immediate government action to combat what they describe as coordinated ideological violence targeting Jewish life in Australia.

“The targeting of a synagogue and an Israeli restaurant in the same night is not a coincidence, it’s a message,” said one Melbourne rabbi. “And it must be met with zero tolerance.”

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This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.

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