Suspected synagogue arson appears to be terrorist act, says Aussie PM

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Dec 8 that suspected arson at a Melbourne synagogue appeared to be an act of terror, a day after his Israeli counterpart said the Labor government had motivated the crime with anti-Israel policies.

He said the fire at the synagogue was the "definition of terrorism".

"There has been a worrying rise in anti-Semitism," the Prime Minister told reporters, adding that he would continue to "call it out".

"Terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community, and the atrocities that occurred at the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community," he said.

Mask-wearing arsonists set the Adass Israel Synagogue ablaze before dawn in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea on Dec 6, gutting much of the building, though there were no serious injuries.

Australian police - who determine whether an incident is a terrorist act - will meet on Dec 9 to see if the fire meets the official criteria, as they continue to hunt down the two arsonists.

The attack has drawn widespread condemnation within Australia and abroad.