Australian police have stepped up their investigation into a Melbourne synagogue arson attack, transferring the case to a joint counter-terrorism unit on Monday.
The police cited strong indications that the blaze was an act of terrorism.
The fire early on Friday at the Adass Israel synagogue injured one and caused widespread damage.
The Melbourne synagogue arson has strained relations between Australia and its ally Israel.
Shane Patton, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, told a news conference that State and federal police along with the domestic intelligence service will work in tandem to identify three suspects wanted in connection with the attack.
“We have the best resources, best-skilled investigators, people who are experts in this field, and we will throw everything we can at this investigation to resolve it,” he said.
Police initially said on Friday it did not believe the fire met the threshold of a terror attack.
Designating it a suspected terror incident gives investigators additional resources and powers that include preventative detention, Patton said.
Police have also stepped up patrols of Jewish areas in Melbourne in order to reassure the community there, he added.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Australia on Saturday, saying the attack could not be separated from the “anti-Israel spirit” of government policies including support of a recent U.N. motion backing a Palestinian state.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that the fire at the synagogue was a “definition of terrorism”.
“There has been a worrying rise in anti-Semitism,” the Prime Minister told reporters.
He added that he would continue to “call it out”.
Australia has seen an increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since the start of a war between Israel and Hamas in October last year.
Some Jewish organisations have said the government has not taken sufficient action in response.
Dozens of pro-Palestine protests over the past year have remained mostly peaceful, though the government has raised concerns they could threaten social cohesion.
(With inputs from Reuters)
