The Australian government is offering its Jewish community £16.3 million to enhance security at community sites in the wake of an arson attack at Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue that authorities have now formally declared a terrorist attack.

The government’s funding will be distributed through the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, an umbrella organization representing more than 200 Jewish institutions nationwide. In addition, the Victoria state government has pledged an additional £50,184 specifically for synagogue repairs.

The case is now being handled by the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team (JCTT), which grants investigators expanded resources, information access, and legal powers in their pursuit of three suspects connected to the attack.

“The decision to transition the Adass Israel Synagogue fire attack to the Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team is a crucial turning point in this investigation,” said Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett on Monday.

“I want to thank Victoria Police investigators for the significant information they have gathered so far, which has helped lead us to believe that this is likely to be a politically motivated attack. This is now a terrorism investigation.”

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Australia has witnessed a growing series of antisemitic incidents involving vandalized cars and buildings, but never as damaging as last week’s synagogue fire, which injured two individuals. It marks the country’s first officially declared domestic terrorist incident since April 2023, when a 16-year-old boy stabbed religious leaders during a livestreamed service at a Sydney Assyrian church.”