Police in Victoria have arrested a man in connection with an alleged arson attack targeting a vehicle displaying Hanukkah decorations in Melbourne.
Christmas Day Attack in St Kilda East
The incident occurred on the morning of 25 December in St Kilda East, a suburb in Melbourne's south-east. Emergency services were called to a property after reports that a car was on fire in its driveway. The vehicle had a sign on its roof reading "Happy Chanukah."
While no one was inside the car at the time, the occupants of the house—a woman and three children—were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The car was extensively damaged in the firebombing.
Arrest and Police Investigation
Victoria police confirmed they arrested a 47-year-old man from the inner-city suburb of Richmond on Tuesday morning. The man remains in custody and is expected to be interviewed by detectives. As of now, no formal charges have been laid.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities treating the incident with extreme seriousness given its nature and timing.
Community Fear in Wake of Bondi Attack
This attack comes less than a fortnight after the alleged terror incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which targeted Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah and resulted in 15 fatalities. The proximity of the two events has heightened anxiety within the Australian Jewish community.
Naomi Levin, chief executive of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, stated that the community remains on edge. "This is a continuation of the daily fear the Jewish community has had to live in for the past two years, and even more so after Bondi," she said following the arson attack.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan issued a statement saying she had been briefed by police on what "the community rightly fear is an antisemitic incident." She expressed dismay that such an event occurred on Christmas Day, stating it was not what any family or community deserved to wake up to.
The premier also noted she had recently seen the decorated car, describing it as spreading holiday cheer around the city.
