Australian Judge Rules Synagogue Arsonist Was Motivated by Mental Illness, Not Antisemitism

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – A man who set fire to a Melbourne synagogue while worshippers were inside was motivated by mental illness rather than antisemitism, an Australian magistrate said on Monday.

Angelo Loras, 35, had pleaded guilty to arson and recklessly placing people at risk of death on July 4 when he doused the front door of the East Melbourne Synagogue with flammable liquid and ignited it. Around 20 worshippers were inside sharing a Shabbat meal, but no one was injured.

The Australian government has blamed Iran for an earlier arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue, which security officers describe as an antisemitic crime aimed at…

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