Albanese vows to help rebuild synagogue during much-anticipated visit

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to help rebuild the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne during a sometimes chaotic visit to the scene of Friday’s arson attack.

A visibly shaken Mr Albanese described the attack on the synagogue as an “act of terrorism” fuelled by anti-Semitism and “stoked by hatred”.

“We’re a country that needs to come together and unite,” Mr Albanese said on Tuesday after inspecting the Ripponlea synagogue in Melbourne’s south-east.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country needed to unite. (AAP: Joel Carrett)

Police are focused on three suspects and declared on Monday that their investigation into the blaze that ripped through the synagogue during the early hours of Friday morning was now related to terrorism.

“One of the things that we spoke about inside with the community leaders was the 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,” Mr Albanese said.

The prime minister and a rabbi stand in the burnt synagogue.

Anthony Albanese has vowed to help rebuild the Adass Israel Synagogue. (Supplied: Prime Minister’s Office)

He committed his government to “doing what we need to do to restore this synagogue, including providing whatever support is necessary financially”.

The prime minister also pledged 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 act”.

As he made his way through the crowd of gathered community members, Mr Albanese revealed he attended his first bar mitzvah on Saturday.

He spoke with one person who was in the synagogue when the attack took place and said what had happened was terrible.

He also appeared to joke with the man, saying he was working “too hard” given the early hour of the day.

“I want to thank the rabbi and all the community leaders for the very warm welcome,” Mr Albanese said.

After concluding his remarks, Mr Albanese was jostled as he made his way to his car by some members of the crowd and pressed by reporters asking whether he was too “pro-Palestinian”.

The visit follows a decision on Monday by Mr Albanese to convene a special operations taskforce backed by the AFP, ASIO, Home Affairs and Attorney-General’s departments.

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