Shafaq News – Melbourne

Australian police are investigating a suspected arson attack after a vehicle displaying a sign reading “Happy Chanukah!” was firebombed with a Molotov cocktail in southeast Melbourne on Christmas Day, according to Australian media.

Emergency services were called to Balaclava Road, where they found the unoccupied vehicle engulfed in flames. ABC News cited Victoria Police as saying that a person of interest has been identified and that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances and motive behind the attack.

Australia recorded at least 14 antisemitic incidents since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza on October 8, 2023, a rise that peaked earlier this month with an attack on a Jewish gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.