Arsonists heavily damaged the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 6, 2024. Photo: Screenshot

Five months after the arson attack on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue, Australian law enforcement announced a major breakthrough that could lead to the identification and arrest of those responsible for the assault that shook the local Jewish community.

The attack took place on Dec. 5, 2024, at approximately 4.30 am. At the time, two worshipers attending morning prayers spotted the flames and quickly alerted emergency services and firefighters, helping to prevent casualties and more extensive damage.

Thanks to the swift response of local authorities, the fire was contained to one section of the synagogue. While the neighboring area was heavily filled with smoke, it remained unharmed. No injuries were reported during the attack, though two people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

Following the incident, local authorities established a Joint Counter Terrorism Team, including Victorian state police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), to lead the investigation into the assault and address the rising wave of antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish communities nationwide.

On Thursday, the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) released footage of the attack, which they believe has provided a crucial breakthrough in the case, and urged anyone with information to come forward.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, an intiative between Victoria Police, @AusFedPolice and @ASIOGovAu has released footage of those believed to responsible for an arson attack on a Synagogue in Ripponlea last year.
https://t.co/YF7sIp063s pic.twitter.com/ZkmxskJ20K

— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) May 15, 2025

Based on the footage, authorities have identified a blue 2020 Volkswagen Golf sedan as the getaway car used in the attack, where two masked men set fire to the synagogue established by Holocaust survivors.

According to police records, the car is a stolen vehicle linked to several crimes around the same period, including an arson and shooting in a Melbourne suburb on the night of the synagogue attack, as well as a nightclub fire in November 2024.

As of now, authorities have arrested two suspects connected to the nightclub arson, both linked to the stolen vehicle. Although there is no evidence connecting them to the synagogue fire, investigators say they are closing in on those responsible.

“We believe several offenders are directly and indirectly connected to the synagogue arson, and our terrorism investigation is ongoing,” police said in a statement. “We remind those involved that terrorism carries a life sentence.”

“It is only a matter of time before the police knock on your door. It is in your interest to come forward now,” authorities warned those involved in the crime.

Tess Walsh, deputy commander of Victoria Police’s counter-terrorism unit, said investigators have worked “tirelessly over the past five months” to determine not only who carried out the attack, but also who planned it and why.” Authorities have appealed to the public for assistance, stressing that any detail may be crucial.

Stephen Nutt, AFP Assistant Commissioner for Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Command, stated there was “no indication” of neo-Nazi or other extremist group involvement but emphasized that the task force continues to investigate the incident as a “politically motivated attack on the Jewish community.”

“The JCTT is leaving no stone unturned in this investigation, and I want to thank the Jewish community for their patience and support,” Nutt said during a press conference.

Last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the torching of the synagogue, arguing the “abhorrent act of antisemitism” was linked to what he described as the Australian government’s “extreme anti-Israeli position.”

Antisemitism spiked to record levels in Australia — especially in Sydney and Melbourne, which are home to some 85 percent of the country’s Jewish population — following the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s bloody invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, amid the ensuing war in Gaza.

According to a report from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the country’s Jewish community experienced over 2,000 antisemitic incidents between October 2023 and September 2024, a significant increase from 495 in the prior 12 months.

Following Hamas’s Oct. 7 atrocities, the number of antisemitic physical assaults in Australia rose from 11 in 2023 to 65 in 2024. The level of antisemitism for the past year was six times the average of the preceding 10 years.