Christmas Day Attack Targets Jewish Symbols in Melbourne
A car displaying prominent Jewish symbols and a 'Happy Chanukah' message was firebombed in the early hours of Christmas Day in St Kilda East, a suburb of Melbourne with a significant Jewish community. The vehicle, belonging to a rabbi's family, was set alight around 2:50am while parked in a driveway, forcing nearby residents to evacuate their homes temporarily.
Victoria Police are investigating the incident as a suspected antisemitic attack and have identified a person of interest. 'We know that there is evil present. We saw that with the terrorist attack of the father and son at Bondi Beach,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a Christmas event in Sydney, referencing the December 14th attack that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration.
Community Fear and Political Response
The attack comes at a time of heightened tension for Australia's Jewish community, which numbers approximately 115,000-120,000 people. According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry's annual report, Australia recorded 1,654 anti-Jewish incidents in the 12 months to October 2025, representing the second-highest number on record.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan stated that the Jewish community 'rightly fears this is an antisemitic incident.' She confirmed that additional police presence had been deployed in the area since earlier this month following the Bondi Beach attack.
St Kilda East, where the attack occurred, is home to a prominent Hasidic Jewish community descended from Polish and Russian immigrants. According to Wikipedia data, 26.4% of the suburb's population identifies as Jewish, making it one of Melbourne's most significant Jewish neighborhoods.
Government Action Against Rising Antisemitism
In response to the escalating violence, Prime Minister Albanese has announced sweeping reforms to Australia's hate speech laws. The government plans to introduce new federal offenses including 'aggravated hate speech' targeting preachers who promote violence and 'serious vilification' based on race or racism supremacy.
'More could have been done, and I accept my responsibility,' Albanese acknowledged in a recent address, according to Jewish Telegraphic Agency reporting. The reforms aim to shift the threshold for what constitutes illegal hate speech and include increased penalties for hate speech promoting violence.
The government also plans to establish an education taskforce led by David Gonski to address antisemitism in schools and create new visa cancellation powers for those spreading hate.
Community Impact and Security Measures
Rabbi Effy Block, whose friend's car was targeted in the attack, described the incident as traumatizing for the community. 'The Jewish community no longer feels safe,' he told reporters, emphasizing that this attack follows the devastating Bondi Beach mass shooting just 11 days earlier.
The Jewish protection group CSG Victoria has increased patrols in response to the heightened tensions. Community leaders have criticized what they see as inadequate government response to the rising antisemitism, despite recent measures including adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and creating a federal task force.
According to American Jewish Committee analysis, antisemitism in Australia has surged 316% since October 2023, with over 2,000 incidents recorded in one year. The Bondi Beach attackers were motivated by Islamic State ideology, highlighting how global radical rhetoric fuels real-world violence against Jewish communities worldwide.
The firebombed vehicle was severely damaged in the attack, though no injuries were reported. Police continue their investigation and search for the perpetrator as the Australian Jewish community grapples with what many describe as an unprecedented level of threat and hostility.