Car with ‘Happy Chanukkah’ sign ‘firebombed’ in Melbourne

A car with Hanukkah decorations was firebombed in Melbourne on Christmas Day.

The suspected anti-semitic attack took place in the early hours in the suburb of St Kilda East, just 11 days after the Bondi beach terror attack.

The car, which had a ‘Happy Chanukah’ sign on its roof, belonged to the family of a rabbi, according to Rabbi Effy Block of the local Chabad.

The fire took place in a residential driveway and caused the occupants of the house to be evacuated as a precaution.

Rabbi Block told Agence France-Presse: ‘Thank God no people were harmed.

‘This is a continuing escalation, where we see these events happening again and again.

‘My Jewish community in St Kilda and Melbourne do not feel safe in their own homes and country.’

At lunchtime on Christmas Day, police confirmed they are trying to find someone identified as ‘a person who may be able to assist with their investigation’.

Local MP David Southwick said he did not think it was a coincidence that the alleged arson attack occurred in the centre of the city’s Jewish community.

He said: ‘Carlisle Street is our Bondi, it’s across the road from one of our Jewish day schools, it’s literally 100 metres from the Bagel Belt of Melbourne.

‘The car that was targeted and the family that was targeted was a Jewish family with a Jewish symbol on the vehicle.’

It is common practice during Hanukkah – which is the Jewish Festival of Lights – for people to put a sign on top of their cars.

Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, said the firebombing ‘just beyond comprehension … What sort of evil ideology and thoughts at a time like this would motivate someone?’

He added: ‘We know that there is evil present. We saw that with this father and son terrorist atrocity at Bondi Beach.’

Mr Albanese has come under fire from some in Australia’s Jewish community who accuse him of not doing enough to tackle antisemitism while incidents increased in recent years.

He was booed during a memorial event for the Bondi Beach attack on December 21.

Father and son duo Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire at an event attended by more than 1,000 people to mark the Jewish festival of light, killing 15.

Sajid was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed, 24, has been charged with 59 offences.

Politicians have come under intense pressure to curb antisemitism since the Bondi Beach attack.

There has been a 316 per cent rise in antisemitism cases in Australia in the year to October last year, according to Jillian Segal, the country’s special envoy on the issue.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced he plans to lower the legal thresholds for a person’s antisemitic actions to be considered illegal.

He also signalled he wanted ‘incitement of hate’ to be enough for the authorities to cancel someone’s visa.

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