Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu links Melbourne synagogue firebombing to UN vote

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to link a Melbourne synagogue firebombing to Australia's UN vote earlier this week, as Australian leaders condemn the incident.

Mr Netanyahu made a statement on social media platform X condemning the burning of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne as "an abhorrent act of anti-Semitism".

The synagogue in Ripponlea in Melbourne's south-east was left gutted after a suspicious blaze tore through it on Friday morning, forcing early morning worshippers to flee for safety.

Police are still investigating the motive of the attack.

The Israeli prime minister said he hoped state authorities would use "their full weight to prevent such anti-Semitic acts in the future", before criticising the Albanese government.

"Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government in Australia," he said.

"Including the scandalous decision to support the UN resolution calling on Israel 'to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as rapidly as possible', and preventing a former Israeli minister from entering the country.

Cabinet minister Murray Watt said he "respectfully disagrees" with Mr Netanyahu.

"Ever since the horrific October 7 attacks, the Albanese government has taken a range of strong actions to stand against anti-Semitism and to stamp it out," he said.

"Our government has absolutely zero-tolerance for anti-Semitism."

On Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the position taken by Australia at the UN earlier this week.

"The same resolution was supported by the Howard government for a number of years.

"Our vote was consistent with the long held bipartisan position of support for a two-state solution — the State of Israel and a Palestinian state side by side behind secure borders."

Mr Albanese reaffirmed the Melbourne attack was an "outrage" and he wanted the people responsible to be caught and "face the full force of the law".

"Our authorities are working hard to do this and they have my government's full support.

"This deliberate anti-Semitic attack on a place of worship goes against everything we stand for as Australians and everything we have worked hard to build as a nation."

Following the Friday firebombing, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said she "unequivocally" condemned the attack.

"The targeting of a place of worship is an act of hate," she wrote on X.

"Violence and anti-Semitism have no place in Australia."

Earlier this week, Australia voted in favour of a UN resolution demanding Israel rapidly end its occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

The vote represented a shift in a longstanding position.

Australia abstained on similar resolutions at previous meetings of the General Assembly.

PM condemns 'act of hate'

Israeli president Isaac Herzog had also labelled it an "abhorrent anti-Semitic arson attack" and called on leaders in Australia and globally to "combat the intolerable rise of anti-Jewish racism worldwide".

Cabinet minister Mark Butler said Anthony Albanese had spoken with Israeli president Isaac Herzog on Friday.

"They had a very productive discussion about the shared-values we have to combat this appalling rise in anti-Semitism," he said.

"I am enormously proud of the relationship that Australia has had with Israel.

"We continue to value our relationship with Israel very highly, it's an important democracy in a very challenging region."

In an earlier statement on Saturday, Mr Albanese described the incident on Friday as "despicable" and "un-Australian".

"I want every member of the Jewish community to know our government unequivocally condemns the prejudice you have been targeted with," he said.

Attack 'should be declared act of terrorism': opposition

The federal opposition is ramping up its criticism of the government over its response to the firebombing of the synagogue and anti-Semitism generally in Australia.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson described the attack in Melbourne as "one of the worst ever attacks on the Australian Jewish community".

"The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has some very serious questions to answer about the failure of his government to tackle anti-Semitism," he said.

Senator Paterson said the attack should be declared an act of terrorism.

"Certainly the Australian Jewish community feels like this was an act of terrorism. They feel terrorised, they feel like this was an act of terror," he said.

"If the prime minister is in possession of information that leads him to a different conclusion then he should stand up today and explain while why he thinks this is not an act of terror."

In a statement on Saturday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said "my counterterrorism officials are engaged on the issue."

"I have been briefed by security agencies and they are going through the detailed work we would expect," Mr Burke said.

Following the comments made by Mr Netanyahu, Senator Paterson said the relationship between Australia and Israel has been "trashed".

"Relations between Australia and Israel have never been at a lower ebb than they are today," Senator Paterson said.

Meanwhile, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg said anti-Semitism had reached "crisis" level in Australia.

"As a result of that terrorist attack yesterday, we are all less safe," he said.

"Prime minister, how did you let it get to this?"