Members of Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue community are today presenting poignant evidence to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. Their testimony focuses on the devastating impact of a December 2024 firebombing that ravaged their place of worship, an attack national security agencies allege was orchestrated by the Iranian government.

The inner-south-east Melbourne synagogue was engulfed in flames during an early-morning arson attack, forcing worshippers to flee. Three individuals have since been charged in connection with the incident, which intelligence reports indicate was ordered by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The fire caused extensive damage, rendering the synagogue unusable for years to come. Tragically, priceless Torah scrolls, central to Jewish worship and tradition, also sustained damage. These sacred texts were housed in a fireproof safe, installed after a similar arson attack on the same synagogue in 1995. While the safe offered some protection during the 2024 blaze, the intense radiant heat and water used to douse the fire ultimately compromised the delicate parchment.

National Inquiry Addresses Rising Antisemitism

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was established in January by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, responding to a worrying surge in antisemitic incidents across the nation. This climate of escalating tensions was tragically highlighted by the Adass Israel firebombing and further underscored by devastating events such as Australia's worst terror attack, where 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in December 2025.

This week's hearings in Melbourne have primarily focused on bolstering security arrangements for Jewish communities, the crucial role of law enforcement agencies, and the preparedness of emergency services to respond to such threats.

During yesterday's proceedings, the Community Security Group (CSG), a Jewish security organisation, provided compelling testimony. A representative revealed that the cost of their operations had tripled following a significant rise in antisemitic incidents after October 2023. The organisation, which works closely with police but relies heavily on philanthropic and community support, expressed serious concerns about the long-term sustainability of its operations.

“The pressure has been immense on all our staff and our volunteers,” a CSG representative told the commission. “We ask more of them now than we ever have.”

Challenges for Law Enforcement

The inquiry also heard from Jason Steinberg of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, who highlighted the challenges law enforcement agencies faced in identifying and addressing various forms of antisemitism before recent changes to hate speech legislation in his state.

“It’s easy to understand right-wing extremism: it’s a Nazi salute, it’s a swastika,” Mr Steinberg explained. “But without that, the other levels of antisemitism of attacking Queenslanders as being genocidal terrorists, for example, in public, is not so easy to identify for police. Our community has felt vulnerable because the police haven’t been acting on that.”

As the hearings continue this week, the commission is expected to receive further evidence from police agencies across several states, a counterterrorism expert, and a senior bureaucrat from the Department of Home Affairs, all contributing to the critical task of safeguarding communities and fostering social cohesion.