A car belonging to a Rabbi, adorned with a Happy Hanukkah sign, was targeted with a firebomb in the early hours of the morning on Balaclava Road in St Kilda East. The incident occurred at approximately 2:50 a.m.
In the aftermath, a woman and three children were hurriedly evacuated from the house as the vehicle went up in flames, dangerously close to their sleeping quarters.
Despite a comprehensive overnight search that involved operation Trinity units, the Public Order Response team, and uniformed officers, authorities have not yet apprehended the suspect.
The scorched vehicle is set to undergo forensic examination by an arson specialist.
The residence is owned by a prominent local Rabbi, who is currently in New York with one of his children.
He is making urgent arrangements to return home and support his family during this distressing time.
“There is no doubt that they are a family who’s now in fear,” Gilbert said.
“I’ve had some of my senior team go and meet with them today to reassure them that their safety is well and truly in our thoughts.”
Officers will be patrolling the area and providing public reassurance.
“We have a lot of staff that are currently working here in the area and right across the state today in terms of public safety,” Gilbert said.
“We are here in numbers, we’re here to support [the Jewish community] we’re here all day and night.”
Shadow Housing Minister for Victoria, David Southwick, called for a recall of parliament.
“The community is absolutely on edge. This is the last thing we’d want coming off the Bondi attack,” Southwick said.
“Its time to recall parliament – the premier’s been talking really tough about a whole lot of things, well now, we need action.”
The incident comes just weeks after the Bondi terrorist attack, and also a year after a synagogue in nearby St. Kilda was a fire bomb, and the wake of the October 7 terror attack in Israel.
