December 10, 2024
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been heckled in chaotic scenes outside the fire-bombed synagogue in Melbourne, with one heckler shouting it was “a nice day for the tennis”.
Jewish community leaders had asked the community not to heckle the Prime Minister amid anger over his failure to visit the site earlier.
But a crowd outside the synagogue did not hold back amid controversy over his afternoon of tennis in Perth in the wake of the terror attack.
“Nice day for tennis,” one heckler shouted.
Another person then shouted, “go live in Gaza,” at the Prime Minister.
“Time to resign,” another heckler shouted.
The Australian reported that one person then yelled, “Off to Kooyong to play tennis mate.”
The Prime Minister was rushed into a car outside the synagogue that was firebombed in a suspected terror attack in chaotic scenes as AFP officers shouted “get back!” to a gathering crowd.
Mr Albanese was expected to hold a press conference after touring the crime scene on Tuesday.
But that plan was cut short after a crowd gathered around him and Mr Albanese wound up the press conference without taking questions. AFP officers were forced to shout at bystanders to “stand clear!” and “watch out, watch out, get back!” as his motorcade tried to depart.
Earlier, Mr Albanese said those who committed the “evil act” would be brought to justice.
“This arson attack is an act of terrorism,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“It was fueled by anti-Semitism, and it was stoked by hatred. We’re a country that needs to come together and unite.
“One of the things that we spoke about inside with the community leaders was ta fact that people have come to Australia because we are a country that is peaceful.
“We are a country that respects people of different faiths and are enriched by our diversity here, and I want to thank the Rabbi and all the community leaders for the very warm welcome that they have given me here today. And I want to thank Josh (Burns) for his leadership as the local MP here.
“I also want to commit, on behalf of my government that I lead, into doing what we need to do to restore this synagogue, including providing whatever support is necessary financially to make sure that those who perpetrated this evil crime do not receive any benefit and indeed get the message that Australia is not a country that will tolerate such an about that will continue to unit as a country, and again meet with the community leaders to discuss practical steps forward.”
The visit came after five days of controversy over his failure to pay his respects.
Mr Albanese made the trip after 24 hours of criticism over his two-hour tennis session in Perth — where also enjoyed afternoon tea — the day after the attack.
Liberal leader Peter Dutton visited the crime scene on Monday.
The Prime Minister was surrounded by a media scrum as he arrived at the site shortly before at 1pm praising Australia’s multicultural community.
“Different faiths, beliefs, and being enriched by it,’’ he said.
He pledged to help the community rebuild the synagogue.
“We will see what we can do to help,’’ he said.
The firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue has been declared a terror incident, leaving the Jewish community badly shaken.
It was against this backdrop that pictures emerged of the Prime Minister at the Cottesloe Tennis Club in Perth in whites and shorts on Saturday.
The synagogue was set alight by masked men the day prior.
Cottesloe Tennis Club president Rob Wilde confirmed to The Australian newspaper that Mr Albanese arrived at 2.30pm on Saturday and stayed for two hours.
But speaking in Canberra, Mr Albanese initially bizarrely denied playing tennis “in the morning” before conceding he had done so in the afternoon.
“I wasn’t playing tennis on Saturday morning,” the Prime Minister said.
“That’s wrong?,” a reporter replied.
“That’s wrong,” Mr Albanese said. “I had six appointments on Saturday.
“After they had concluded late in the afternoon, I did some exercise,” Mr Albanese then said, confirming he did in fact play tennis in the afternoon.
“That’s what people do. On Saturday morning, I was in a synagogue. I’ve seen some comments in the media about why there wasn’t media coverage there. That was because it was Shabbat and, as people can confirm, photos and electronic information wasn’t available then. Indeed, I attended the bar mitzvah of a young boy there and I was very much welcomed there.”
Liberal frontbencher James Paterson told news.com.au the Prime Minister’s priorities were clear.
“While a synagogue was still smouldering following the worst terrorist attack against the Jewish community in Australia’s history, Anthony Albanese was playing tennis,” Senator Paterson said.
“It speaks volumes about his priorities that a social hitout was more important to him than showing solidarity with the Jewish community at this time.”
Mr Albanese confirmed on Monday that the attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne will be investigated as a terrorist incident.
Announcing that the Australian Federal Police have established a special task force to investigate incidents of anti-Semitism, Mr Albanese said spy agency ASIO would also assist law enforcement officials.
“Our world-class agencies will provide all the support necessary to find the perpetrators and ensure they face the full force of the law,” the Prime Minister told reporters in a press conference in Canberra on Monday.
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said “a flying squad” would deploy nationally to incidents.
“[That] will include [incidents of] urging violence against members or groups, advocating terrorism, advocating genocide, using a carriage service to make a threat, and using a carriage service to menace or harass,” he said.
“I want to assure the Jewish community that the AFP will continue to provide capability and resources to state and territory police. However, from today, the AFP will take a greater role.
“The AFP will not tolerate crimes that undermine Australia’s security or our way of life.
“The national terrorism threat level remains at Probable. When I raised the threat level earlier this year, I noted there was a greater than 50 per cent chance of a terrorist attack in the next 12 months.
“Sadly, this appalling incident appears to embody the ugly dynamics that ASIO has been warning about.”
