President Isaac Herzog received word of the terror attack at the Chabad House Hanukkah event in Australia while presiding over the Aliyah and Integration Ministry Prize ceremony for trailblazing immigrants. The president halted the proceedings to address the audience. "At this very hour, our brothers and sisters in Sydney, Australia, are under a terror attack during the lighting of the Hanukkah candle at a Chabad event at Bondi Beach," he said.

"Many Jews who came to light the first candle of Hanukkah in one of the most magnificent communities in the world were attacked by criminal terrorists," Herzog said.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was unsparing in his criticism. "The writing was on the wall. The Australian government bears responsibility," Bennett said. "A festive Jewish gathering turned into a scene of terror. A short time ago I spoke with leaders of the Jewish community. They are furious and afraid. For months, they have warned against a rise in antisemitism."

"The writing was on the wall and it was met with a blind eye from the government," Bennett added. "I demand that the Australian government act immediately to protect the Jewish communities and deal with antisemitism with full severity. Jews should not have to fear for their lives anywhere, including in Australia. I send my condolences to the families of the killed and pray for the well-being of the wounded. Your pain is our pain."

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar posted on X, "I'm appalled by the murderous shooting attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia. These are the results of the anti-Semitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the anti-Semitic and inciting calls of 'Globalize the Intifada' that were realized today. The Australian government, which received countless warning signs, must come to its senses!"

Education Minister Yoav Kisch also linked the violence to policy. "I am deeply shocked by the severe antisemitic attack in Australia," Kisch said. "As a Jew, the heart breaks in the face of the stories and documentation from the murderous event. The decision of the Australian government to recognize a Palestinian state sent a terrible message, the results of which we unfortunately see today. The State of Israel embraces and will support the Jewish community in Sydney in the most difficult moments."

Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat said, "The Australian government failed to eradicate antisemitism and the hatred of Jews in its country."

The post 'You failed': Israel slams Australia after Hanukkah massacre appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The move also serves his election campaign well. For Netanyahu, it is essentially a win-win situation. If the pardon is granted, it would obviously be a major achievement for the prime minister. But even if it is rejected, in an election year it still plays to his advantage. It would allow him to claim that the charges against him were baseless and that even the president refused to grant a pardon.

All roads lead to Herzog

If President Isaac Herzog approves the request, Israel could see protests even larger than those that erupted over the judicial overhaul. Herzog is acutely aware of this.

In general, recent developments have centered on putting pressure on the president, including through the visit by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to the courthouse, where he described the proceedings as a "Bugs Bunny trial," despite the fact that Huckabee does not speak Hebrew.

In essence, what changed is that Netanyahu submitted the request formally, but the signs that the pressure was shifting to Herzog have been evident for nearly two months.

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The request was delivered to the legal department at the President's Residence by Netanyahu's attorney. It was then transferred to the Pardons Department in the Justice Ministry, which will compile the relevant legal opinions from various officials in the ministry. These opinions will then be forwarded to the legal adviser at the President's Residence and staff, who will prepare an additional opinion for the president.

Officials at the President's Residence emphasized that this is an exceptional request with far reaching implications. Once all opinions are received, the president will examine the matter responsibly and with due seriousness. The request includes two documents: a detailed letter signed by Netanyahu's attorney, and a letter signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself. Given the unusual importance of the request and its implications, the documents were released to the public.

"The public interest points in another direction"

In his letter to Herzog, Netanyahu did not admit guilt or express remorse. "In recent years, tensions and disagreements between different parts of the nation and between various branches of government have intensified," he wrote. "I am aware that the legal proceedings in my case have become a focal point of fierce political strife. I bear broad public and moral responsibility and understand the consequences of all these events. For this reason, and despite my personal interest in managing the trial and proving my innocence until full acquittal, I believe the public interest points in another direction."

Netanyahu added that as prime minister, driven by a sense of public responsibility to help bring reconciliation among the people, he had no doubt that ending the trial would help reduce the flames of the dispute that has formed around it. Facing the security challenges and diplomatic opportunities confronting the State of Israel, he said he was "committed to doing everything possible to heal internal divisions, achieve national unity and restore public trust in state institutions", and that he expected all senior state officials to "do the same."

The request stated that the prime minister had believed from the start, and still believes today, that if the legal proceedings continue to their conclusion they would end in full acquittal. He had and has extensive criticism of the conduct of law enforcement authorities in handling his case, and this has been proven and continues to be proven in the courtroom today. For many years, the prime minister was determined to prove these claims in every lawful way available to him.

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In the letter, which arrived at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, Trump wrote that Netanyahu had stood firm for Israel in the face of powerful adversaries and difficult circumstances, and his attention should not be needlessly diverted. Herzog's office is now considering how to respond, while Netanyahu's office denied any involvement in or prior knowledge of the letter.

"It is my honor to write to you at this historic time, as we have, together, just secured peace that has been sought for at least 3,000 years," Trump wrote. "As the great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish people move past the terribly difficult times of the last three years, I hearby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive war time prime minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace, which includes my continued work with key Middle East leaders to add many additional countries to the world changing Abraham Accords."

Herzog's office confirmed receipt of the letter and said that the president "has great respect for President Trump, continues to express appreciation for his unwavering support of Israel, and recognizes his immense contribution to bringing home the hostages, reshaping the Middle East and Gaza, and safeguarding Israel's security. Without detracting from this appreciation, as the president has made clear many times, anyone seeking a pardon must submit a request in accordance with the established rules."

Under Israeli law, a pardon request must be submitted by the individual concerned or an immediate family member, and can only be considered after all legal proceedings have concluded. The sole exception was in the 1984 "Bus 300 affair," when a pardon was granted before the end of legal proceedings.

Officials in Herzog's office are weighing whether to reply formally to Trump's letter, clarifying the legal procedure for pardon requests, or to forgo a response, viewing the letter as a declarative and symbolic gesture.

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This describes the individual sometimes dubbed "rabbi to kings." Schneier's persona has been linked for years with Arab and Muslim state leaders worldwide, from Saudi Arabia's monarch to Azerbaijan's president, from Qatar's emir to the United Arab Emirates' ruler. In an exclusive Israel Hayom interview, Schneier discusses diplomacy and pragmatism through the lens of faith and stated that for him the real prize is not political, but spiritual.

"I'm the 18th generation rabbi in my family," he begins. "I've always wanted to be a rabbi – and to appreciate what it means to be a rabbi."
Schneier received ordination in 1983 by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, yet his calling extends beyond the synagogue and community he founded in the Hamptons, New York. "In my office… one wall has photos with kings and presidents, but the other side overlooks the synagogue. That's what gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment."

"In my family, you have to make two contributions – both congregationally, spiritually, and also from the social-action point of view," he continues, and consequently, in 1989 he founded the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, to restore the historic alliance between African Americans and Jews forged during the civil rights movement in the United States. "Martin Luther King comprehended that whoever struggles for his own rights can only do so if he also battles for others' rights. King was a great champion of Israel… He had zero tolerance for antisemitism."

After two decades leading it, he decided to pursue a new direction, "I thought that the great challenge of my generation would be to find the path to narrow the divide between 16 million Jews and 1.8 billion Muslims. And that's what sent me off on my global journey."

Schneier recounts how Muslim world doors opened before him. "My great patron was the late King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah… he introduced me to the King of Bahrain, who introduced me to the Emir of Qatar, who introduced me to the ruler of the UAE, who introduced me to [Azerbaijani leader] Aliyev — and then Kazakhstan… Even i24NEWS today said, 'this is the one who planted all the seeds for the Abraham Accords.'"

"I say everywhere – in Riyadh, Doha, Baku, Ankara – anti-Zionism is antisemitism. Israel is not some political 77-year-old aspiration; it's at the very core of our religion." He adds, "How can you be a Jew and not be a Zionist? Why would you bifurcate? … I am, in this work, a watchdog when it comes to Israel." The leaders, according to him, value his consistency.  "One of these leaders said to me, 'Presidents and heads of state, ambassadors — they come and go, and you're always there. We all need a rabbi.'"

Beyond his community position in the Hamptons, he was appointed special advisor by the King of Bahrain to the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence based in Manama, and in 2022 served as interfaith consultant to the World Cup organization in Qatar, whose reputation in Israel naturally transformed completely following the war.

"The Qataris always come through for me… I served as interfaith advisor to the World Cup. I had three conditions: 15,000 Israelis, direct flights between Doha and Tel Aviv, and kosher food," he states, "I brought two rabbis from Turkey...  check, check, check [referring to all three conditions being met]." Qatar itself naturally leveraged the treatment of Israelis to bolster its image, while preserving relations with Israel's adversaries in the Middle East.

He portrays his warm relationship with Aliyev, Azerbaijan's president, whom he calls "like family for me. There's nothing Aliyev wouldn't do for Israel." He recalled telling one Arab leader that if he wanted to normalize relations with Israel, he should simply follow what Azerbaijan does.

With Turkey, Schneier was involved in the thawing of relations between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Isaac Herzog in 2021. "The Turkish ambassador to Washington called Erdoğan from my office… I said it would be a wonderful opportunity for President Erdogan to call President Herzog – which he did. And by March 2022 we had the famous reconciliation meeting in Ankara." Schneier adds that "Erdogan was a big disappointment to me because of his absolute hatred for Netanyahu... Erdogan loves Herzog. Loves him."

He characterizes Hamas as "a perversion of Islam," saying that the war in Gaza "is a war against evil, not a war of religion." According to him, there are 12 Muslim countries that support or express sympathy for Israel. Muslim leaders support Israel's right to defend itself.

Schneier believes the agreement to release the hostages and ceasefire signals a regional transformation. "If Hamas doesn't behave... not only will they have to deal with the Israelis, they'll have to deal with the Americans — and good luck to them." He notes that is an unprecedented opportunity. If Gaza is demilitarized and administered by an Arab consortium and provided economic hope, everything can be transformed.

Regarding the Abraham Accords, Schneier enumerated Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Oman, Syria and Lebanon, as countries that may normalize relations with Israel in the near future. However, he indicated that "There's going to be very little movement in the Arab world until… Israelis recognize that everyone wants to see a Palestinian state – even if only symbolic."

Schneier participated in the "Peace to Prosperity" conference in Bahrain in 2019, and is convinced that Jared Kushner was correct, that money and hope can alter perception. He recalls Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's words, "MBS said to me, 'Rabbi, you probably think I want to normalize relations with Israel because of Iran. That's the second reason. The first is Vision 2030 – the economic transformation of the kingdom that I cannot accomplish without Israel.'"

Schneier divides the region into two blocs, "You have the Saudi bloc – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, even Qatar – and you have the Iranian bloc… Why doesn't anyone recognize that blessing?"

He expresses concern about the situation in New York and the weakening of Jewish influence in the city, and warns against Zohran Mamdani's rise, He [Mamdani] will finesse every issue – police, education, even prostitution – except one: Israel. He won't even recognize Israel as a democratic Jewish state."

At the conversation's conclusion, he sends a warm message to Israelis, "For American Jews, Israelis are a great source of inspiration. We enjoy the security and the strength we have in the Diaspora only because of the State of Israel… It has restored the honor and the dignity of the Jewish people… There's never been a better time to be Jewish than today."

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Upon entering office, the president appointed an advisory committee, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Professor Yoram Danziger, to recommend worthy candidates for the medal on a regular basis. Since then, the president has awarded the medal to prominent figures in Israel and worldwide in various fields, including heads of state, key social figures from different sectors, and Jewish leaders in Israel and around the world.

The "Presidential Medal" will be awarded by the president in an official ceremony expected to take place at the President's House after the High Holy Days.

The medal recipients announced by the president are: Dr. Miriam Adelson, Professor Avi Uri, retired Judge George Karra, Galila Ron-Feder Amit, Professor Dina Porat, Dr. Yossi Vardi,  Sheikh Muafak Tarif, Moti Malka, and Mathias Dopfner.

President Herzog personally notified each winner of their selection, and in each conversation he held, the president said that "in each and every one of you I see a figure providing personal example. Your unique contribution is an example of activity worthy of special recognition. The State of Israel owes you deep gratitude for your work, for the uncompromising commitment to values of excellence, solidarity, and innovation, and for your outstanding contribution to strengthening Israeli society and defending and advancing Israel's reputation in the world." The president mentioned and emphasized that "even at these moments the hostages remain in all our hearts – we do not forget them, and continue to act and pray for their swift return."

In the committee's reasoning for selecting the award's recipients, it was written that Dr. Miriam Adelson is "a pioneering scientist, physician and addiction treatment specialist, devoted her life to saving souls, groundbreaking research in the field of drug rehabilitation and fighting stigmas surrounding addiction."

"Together with her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, she made enormous contributions to significant projects for the Jewish people and the State of Israel, in the fields of Jewish identity and Zionism, academia, education, research, medicine, and culture. As a Jewish and Israeli leader with global influence, she uses her power to influence American public opinion and media in favor of advancing Israel's national and security interests, and in the past year used this position to lead a significant contribution to the struggle for the release of the hostages – a contribution that placed her at the forefront of the public and international struggle and reflected her personal commitment to values of solidarity and constant concern for human life."

It was further written that Adelson's years-long contribution "combines medical, educational and philanthropic activity on the national and international level, and establishes her status as one of the central figures working for the Israeli people and the State of Israel throughout the world."

Presidential Medal winners alongside Dr. Adelson:

Professor Avi Uri, one of the world's leading rehabilitation physicians and experts in treating war-wounded individuals. A former captive of the Yom Kippur War, he led rehabilitation medicine in Israel and rehabilitated thousands of patients.

Dr. Mathias Dopfner, CEO of the German "Axel Springer" group, is a brave voice against antisemitism and a staunch supporter of Israel. Demonstrated unprecedented solidarity with Israel in the current war.

Retired Judge George Karra was the first Arab Christian Supreme Court justice of his kind, known for courageous and fair rulings. A symbol of equality before the law and integration in Israeli society.

Galila Ron Peder Amit is a leading children's and youth author who has written hundreds of books that have shaped entire generations. Her works instilled values of curiosity, tolerance, and love of homeland.

Professor Dina Porat, Israel's leading Holocaust researcher, wrote foundational books in the field and leads the fight against antisemitism. Serves as academic advisor at Yad Vashem.

Dr. Yossi Vardi is instrumental in building Israel's high-tech industry and founder of Mirabilis (ICQ). Invested in and established dozens of high-tech companies and serves as a mentor to thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide.

Sheikh Muafaq Tarif is the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, leads a path of moderation and unity. A symbol of the covenant of life between the Druze community and the State of Israel.

Moti Malka is the founder of the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra and led the multicultural revolution in music. He made Andalusian music part of the Israeli cultural map.

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The IDF chief of staff characterized the operation's impact as fundamentally altering Middle Eastern dynamics. "IDF actions and achievements since October 7, particularly within Operation Rising Lion's framework, have generated a significant regional domino effect impacting the entire Middle East," Zamir explained. "Tectonic plates are shifting – some herald positive strategic opportunities for Israel, while others demand enhanced preparedness."

Zamir provided detailed operational insights, describing how Israeli forces established an air corridor to Tehran and executed precision strikes against nuclear, missile, and rocket installations while maintaining air superiority. "The US military subsequently attacked underground nuclear sites using its superpower capabilities," he noted. "Combined actions significantly contributed to achieving war objectives, strengthened Middle East security, and demonstrated crucial strategic coordination between nations."

While acknowledging Iran operation success, the IDF chief emphasized Gaza campaign continuity. "The southern war ranks among Israel's most complex and complicated conflicts," Zamir stated. "Our soldiers demonstrate courage, supreme heroism, and sacrifice while pursuing a clear mission – returning our hostages and defeating the enemy."

The military leader paid special tribute to fallen Netzach Yehuda Battalion soldiers killed Tuesday in northern Gaza. "Netzach Yehuda Battalion warriors, the IDF's first ultra-Orthodox battalion, who fell the day before yesterday alongside all Iron Swords War fallen defending the state," Zamir said. "They represent heroes of valor, heroes of the Israeli people."

Zamir shared personal experiences with the unit. "Two weeks ago, I met Netzach Yehuda warriors hundreds of meters from the border, protecting Sderot and Nir Am," he recalled. "I witnessed their dedication and commitment to the sacred mission."

The IDF chief extensively addressed strategic thinking, rejecting detached approaches. "Some mistakenly believe strategists observe reality from above, from Olympus heights, disconnected from field conditions," Zamir said. "This represents a fundamental error. Authentic strategy emerges from field experience."

Defense Minister Israel Katz detailed unprecedented Iranian achievements. "We opened Tehran's airspace to air force operations while eliminating air defense systems," Katz said. "We dismantled Iran's nuclear infrastructure with American ally assistance. We destroyed missile production facilities and severely damaged launch systems. We eliminated security leadership and leading scientists advancing the nuclear program."

Katz disclosed a specialized operation within the Iranian capital. "Operation Tornado severely damaged regime symbols and oppression apparatus in Tehran's heart while evacuating millions of residents and creating intense pressure on the ayatollahs' regime," he explained.

The defense minister revealed that Iranian operations thwarted extensive plans involving Hamas. "Hamas intended to assist Iran in implementing 'Destruction of Israel' phase two – Iranian missile attacks on Israel and coordinated invasions from Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan as part of combined assault operations," Katz said.

Addressing northern developments, Katz observed that "maximum enforcement policy continues in Lebanon and demonstrates effectiveness." Regarding Syria, he stated that "IDF presence in Hermon and security zones protects Golan Heights and Galilee residents from any enemy, with territorial presence serving as diplomatic assets for potential future arrangements."

Despite achievements, Katz stressed incomplete objectives. "Our Gaza Strip maneuver target remains clear – returning all hostages and ensuring Hamas elimination," he said, noting that the prime minister "currently conducts intensive negotiations for hostage releases."

Concerning Houthis, the defense minister spoke definitively. "Houthis continue firing toward Israel, requiring clear understanding – Yemen faces Tehran's fate," Katz declared. "Israel will not permit Houthi attrition warfare, and they will bear complete consequences."

President Isaac Herzog addressed national security's political dimensions. "Recent years brought considerable disappointments and upheavals regarding trust many Israelis placed in international community," Herzog said.

The president criticized international October 7 responses. "International organizations and member states turned their backs on us," Herzog said. "Human rights organizations ignored filmed and documented massacres. Women's organizations conspicuously remained silent facing horrific sexual violence testimonies."

Looking ahead, Herzog emphasized current opportunities. "We experience a historic favorable moment," the president said. "A defining moment for the entire region. Our deterrent military power and exceptional strategic capabilities received clear expression in this campaign against Iranian ayatollahs' regime and its extensions."

On hostage return, Herzog remained emphatic. "Returning all hostages – until the last one – represents not only moral obligation but decisive strategic declaration," he said. "Israel does not abandon its children."

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The previous evening, Milei posted on X regarding the Yemen missile launch that sent millions to shelters, stating "I strongly recommend that when you react to what happens in Israel, remember what it's like to live in this situation. I witnessed this from the hotel where I'm staying in Jerusalem."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with Argentine President Javier Milei.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to @JMilei: "Javier, you are a real friend of Israel!" pic.twitter.com/6itXnhyetf

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 10, 2025

Prior to the cancellation, Milei had met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Herzog presented him with a replica of an ancient silver amulet discovered in the Ben Hinnom Valley, bearing the inscription "May the Lord bless you and keep you."

ÚLTIMO MOMENTO
Sugiero de modo muy enfático que al momento de opinar sobre que pasa en ISRAEL tengan presente lo que es vivir bajo esta situación... Esto acabo de ver desde el hotel en el que estoy hospedado en Jerusalén.

Cc: @Isaac_Herzog @netanyahu pic.twitter.com/NlCyNVCD4U

— Javier Milei (@JMilei) June 10, 2025

Should his visit proceed according to schedule, Milei will travel to Tel Aviv to inaugurate a park near the Sarona Complex. His itinerary also includes meetings with prominent rabbis, including Rabbi Dovid Abuchatzeira, and speaking with Argentine citizens who survived Hamas captivity. He is also scheduled to meet with the Cunio and Horn families, whose sons remain in Hamas captivity.

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"The trees are so heavy, the fruit bends the branches; this is the hour when children fall asleep. The lamb will return to its mother's embrace, lie down in the pen and fall asleep, and the sheep will kiss him, and she will call him by name."

An entire country and a whole nation are now in a time of mourning and lamentation, pain and weeping. A time when two tender lambs – golden infants – finally return, in their mother's embrace, to us, to their home. And all of us, an entire nation with a broken heart, accompany them to their eternal rest.

Master of the universe, this is not how we prayed they would return to us. This is not the moment we waited for, nor the ending we hoped for. In our mind's eye, we saw them returning, their golden heads shining, with that lively, mischievous look gleaming in their small eyes. And mother Shiri, in her breathtaking courage, still sheltering them under her wings, protecting them from all harm; exactly as she did when facing Satan, whom they encountered at such a tender age.

The image of Shiri, carrying her two golden children with eyes torn open from terror, forging a path for them between rifle butts and human monsters – will remain seared in us forever. This image contains within it simultaneously the purest light, the most noble and pure love; and, incomprehensibly, the most horrifying, distilled evil. This image is a single moment in time that encapsulates the entire story of the October 7 disaster – Simchat Torah. The essence of goodness against the lust for murder. And how great is our heartbreak.

The lullaby we carry in our hearts today is an eternal lullaby. As sweet, beloved Kfir and Ariel are brought to an Israeli grave, to eternal rest, together with their remarkable mother Shiri.

If there is still mercy in the world, may the beautiful faces of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir become a heart-piercing cry, echoing in all corners of the earth. A weeping that travels from one end of the world to the other, awakening the hearts of people whose senses have dulled, whose sense of justice has been distorted, whose hearts have been sealed. Look, world – today we are burying the sweetest and purest of your children. Open your heart, world, join the great cry that an entire broken nation is shouting today.

Beloved Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel. Know that from the day you were torn from us, we did not cease for even a moment to pray and hope, to wait, to cry, to yearn for you to return to us alive. That together with brave, heroic father Yarden, who recently returned to us from the valley of the shadow of death, all of you would return to your warm and beautiful home. And now, there are no words with the power to heal the heart. And we refuse to be consoled.

Beloved Yarden, and all the Bibas, Silverman, and Siton families – we all cry with you, embrace you, are broken with you. As president of the State of Israel, in the name of the State of Israel, I ask your forgiveness. Forgiveness that we did not fulfill our duty. Forgiveness that we did not protect your loved ones on that cursed day. Forgiveness that we did not save them, that we did not bring them home safely.

In this moment of heartbreak, I wish to quote the words of Ohad Ben Ami, who returned to us from the horror of captivity and told me this: "The moment we knew they were fighting for us and wanted us to return, it gave us all the strength and reinforced us... There were six of us in six square meters. We were together, secular and religious, soldiers and civilians. We lived in conditions that were not conditions, 30 meters underground, and we were together. This is what we are built on."

Words about unity don't always manage to enter our hearts. But to hear Ohad, who returned from an inconceivable hell, speak about our unity as a life-saving force – this is no longer a slogan, it is a commandment with sacred and binding validity for all of us. The living, beating, magnificent heart of our nation, which was revealed to us this year in all its glory, contains many voices; and now all of us, all parts of this nation, must look directly at the image of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel, and swear to hold on tightly, together.

Thus – together – as a whole nation with a broken heart, we will accompany Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri to eternal rest today, and may we tear open the gates of heaven in prayer: that their beloved, pure, and innocent souls be bound in the bond of life forever; and that we merit the swift return of all the hostages, to the very last one.

The post As Israel's president A message to the Bibas family appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A large fire broke out Thursday at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, with police investigating it as a potential antisemitic attack. Benjamin Klein, a member of the synagogue's board, told ABC that an "enormous amount" of sacred books, Torah scrolls, and furniture were destroyed.

The fire, which caused significant damage to two synagogue buildings, left Adass Israel congregants in shock, with some arriving for morning prayers to find their synagogue severely damaged by the blaze.

Firefighters arrived at the scene around 4 AM and battled the flames for nearly an hour before gaining control. According to witnesses, two individuals smashed the synagogue's window, poured gasoline, and threw Molotov cocktails that ignited the building. Worshippers present at the time were forced to flee through the back exit, with one person suffering burns to their hands.

More than 60 firefighters have fought a blaze ignited after a suspected arson attack at a Melbourne synagogue early on Friday morning. Latest: https://t.co/eWT9sXsSwJ pic.twitter.com/DpWVr7QWHN

— The Australian (@australian) December 5, 2024

 Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote Friday morning on his X account: "I call on Australian leadership and leaders worldwide to strongly condemn this despicable act of terror and fight against the intolerable rise in anti-Jewish racism globally." The president also expressed his admiration for the community's strength, unity, and resilience in the face of the attack and wave of antisemitism.

Seventeen firefighting teams worked to extinguish the blaze. The synagogue, built by Holocaust survivors, serves as a vital center for the local Jewish community. "This is the crown jewel of the Jewish community," said Benjamin Klein, a synagogue board member. He added that the community is in shock. "We've been on high alert in recent months, with security patrols and cameras, but seeing something like this happen is shocking."

"This synagogue is the busiest in Australia, so it's a very, very active synagogue. We're open 20 to 22 hours a day," Klein said. "For this to happen to a synagogue thousands of miles from anywhere else in the world, in a peaceful neighborhood, peaceful community, it's quite terrible."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the arson, calling it a deliberate and illegal attack that contradicts all the country's values. "I have zero tolerance for antisemitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. The violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage," Albanese said. "This attack has risked lives and is clearly aimed at creating fear in the community."

pic.twitter.com/AfmZMZgtMu

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 5, 2024

Jeremy Leibler, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, condemned the attack: "No one should be surprised. This violent attack is a direct result of words turning into actions. Unchecked hatred of Jews endangers all Australians." Klein also noted this wasn't the first time the synagogue had been targeted. In 1995, it was damaged in a deliberate fire.

Yossi Friedman told foreign media that he was inside the synagogue with another person around 4:10 AM when they suddenly heard a loud bang and breaking glass. "I saw glass flying, so I just jumped from my chair, ran from the synagogue through the hall to the back path," Friedman recounted. He asked a staff member at a store to call the police and then returned to the synagogue, only to find the building engulfed in flames. "I thought maybe I could open the doors and get inside, but when I touched the door my hand got burned," he said, "so I decided it was too dangerous and left."

I am appalled by the abhorrent arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.
Antisemitism must be relentlessly confronted. I urge Australian authorities to act swiftly and ensure the despicable perpetrators are brought to justice.
Israel stands in solidarity with the…

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) December 6, 2024

World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel addressed the antisemitic attack against the Jewish synagogue in Melbourne, Australia: "Jewish blood is not worthless! The attack against the synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, is another reminder of the antisemitic wave that has been raising its head worldwide with greater intensity since October 7."

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