Car with ‘Happy Chanukah’ Sign Targeted in Suspected Antisemitic Firebombing in Melbourne

A car displaying a “Happy Chanukah” sign was firebombed in a Melbourne suburb in the early hours of Christmas morning, in what police are investigating as a possible antisemitic attack.

The incident occurred less than two weeks after a deadly terror attack on Hanukkah celebrants at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which claimed 15 lives.

Authorities reported that emergency services were called to a vehicle with a mobile billboard that had been set on fire in the driveway of a property in St Kilda East at around 2:50 a.m. Images obtained by local media show the damaged car with a sign reading “Happy Chanukah!”

No one was inside the car at the time, though residents of the house were evacuated as a precaution, police said. “Detectives have identified a person who may assist in the investigation and are actively searching for their whereabouts,” authorities added.

The Jewish protection group CSG Victoria highlighted the presence of a chanukiah symbol—a nine-branched candelabrum associated with Hanukkah—on the vehicle. The organization confirmed that no community members were harmed and said it remained in close contact with police. “CSG has already been operating at a heightened level with increased patrols and will continue to do so,” the group said in an Instagram post.

Naomi Levin, CEO of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, said, “The Australian Jewish community remains on edge. This continues the daily fear experienced by our community over the past two years, heightened further after the Bondi attack.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen stated online that she had been briefed by police about what the community fears is an antisemitic attack. “This is not what any family, street, or community deserves to wake up to on Christmas Day in Australia,” she said. “This small car has been driving around spreading Hanukkah and holiday cheer—I even saw it pass by Caulfield on Monday afternoon.” She added that police were coordinating closely with community leaders to investigate. “We have a responsibility to this community: to ensure families are safe now, and to work long-term to eliminate antisemitism and hate from our state.”

Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, described the firebombing as “an isolated incident” and reassured that the Melbourne Jewish community is not at further risk.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the attack, stating, “Australia’s Jewish community is in mourning after the Bondi terrorist attack, and the firebombing of a car in Melbourne is another shocking act of suspected antisemitism.”

Following the Bondi attack, a video of one of the victims, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was widely shared, showing him dancing as he placed a Chanukiah on top of his van, captioned “Here’s the best response to combat antisemitism.”