Authorities charged a third suspect Friday in connection with an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue that Australian intelligence agencies say was directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, marking the latest development in a case that has exposed the vulnerability of religious communities to foreign-directed violence. The 20-year-old man was one of three masked offenders who broke into the Adass Israel Synagogue, doused the interior with flammable liquid and set it alight in the early hours of Dec. 6, 2024, according to a police statement.
Community Under Siege
The fire caused extensive damage to the synagogue and a worshipper sustained minor injuries. The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which brings together federal and state police with a spy agency, charged the man, who has not been named, with offenses including arson. He was charged in a Melbourne jail where he was already being held in custody on unrelated offenses. Police declined to elaborate on those offenses.
His co-accused Giovanni Laulu, 21, was arrested in July last year and another suspect, Younes Ali Younes, 20, was arrested a month later. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard of directing the synagogue fire and an arson attack two months earlier at a Sydney kosher eatery, Lewis' Continental Kitchen.
Foreign Direction and Hidden Networks
Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation's main domestic spy agency, said the Revolutionary Guard used a "complex web of proxies to hide its involvement" in both antisemitic attacks. Iran's ambassador to Australia and another three Iranian diplomats were expelled, and Tehran has denied Australia's allegations.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier said investigators were working with international partners in the continuing investigation. Police were also investigating whether the three alleged arsonists knew who ordered the attack. Crozier said, "They may not actually be aware of the people who are directing or the principals of these investigations. That remains a key line of inquiry for us."
Official Response and Community Impact
Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul O'Halloran said police had informed the local Jewish community of the third arrest before the news was made public. O'Halloran said, "Our heart goes out to them. Again, this brings back this terrible incident," and added, "People deserve the right to feel safe and be safe in their community and particularly at their place of worship. Today's charges are a strong testament to this."
The latest suspect will make his first court appearance on the new charges next week. The Australian government has established a public inquiry to investigate a rise in antisemitism across the country, including the killing of 15 people when two gunmen opened fire on a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December.
Why This Matters:
The charges underscore how religious minorities face threats not only from domestic extremism but from sophisticated foreign actors who exploit vulnerable individuals to carry out attacks that terrorize entire communities. The alleged use of proxies by a foreign government to target a place of worship represents a direct assault on the fundamental right to religious freedom and community safety. The establishment of a public inquiry into rising antisemitism signals recognition that these are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern requiring comprehensive institutional response. For Jewish Australians and other minority communities, the investigation's findings about foreign direction reveal the inadequacy of existing protections against transnational hate networks. The question of whether the alleged perpetrators understood who was directing them highlights the need for stronger safeguards to prevent marginalized individuals from being manipulated into serving foreign interests that threaten Australia's social cohesion and the security of its most vulnerable residents.