Australia’s Albanese slammed for playing tennis after arson attack on synagogue
A politician has criticised Australian PM Anthony Albanese for not ‘showing solidarity with the Jewish community’ soon after the attack
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was heckled on Tuesday during a visit to an arson-hit synagogue in Melbourne as he faced mounting criticism for playing tennis in the aftermath of the attack.
Three masked assailants set the Adass Israel Synagogue on fire last Friday, injuring one and causing significant damage to the building.
Police said the suspects linked to the firebombing, which was designated as a terrorist attack, remain at large.
Australia also set up an antisemitism task force, known as Abalight, following the incident, which Albanese described as “concerning”.
“Special Operation Abalight will be an agile and experienced squad of counterterrorism investigators who will focus on threats, violence, and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community and parliamentarians,” Australian Federal Police chief Reece Kershaw told a news conference on Monday.
Police have boosted patrols of Jewish areas in Melbourne – home to the country’s largest Jewish population with 54,583 Jews living there, according to a 2021 census.
