Manhunt for John Argento underway after rabbi’s car firebombed in Melbourne’s St Kilda

A manhunt is underway after a rabbi’s car was firebombed in Melbourne and a man has been charged over performing nazi salutes, as incidents of anti-Semitic hate continue to spread across Australia.

The car belonging to a prominent Victorian rabbi that was displaying a “Happy Chanukah!” sign and an image of a Jewish menorah candle was set alight in the driveway of the home in St Kilda East early on Christmas morning. The rabbi’s wife and three children who were asleep inside at the time had to be evacuated.

On Friday Victorian Police revealed they were searching for John Argento, a 47-year-old itinerant with an outstanding arrest warrant who is known to frequent Melbourne’s inner southern and northern suburbs.

While no one was in the car at the time of the 2.50am arson attack on Balaclava Road, police said they were aware of the impact it would have on the Jewish community, just 10 days after the Bondi massacre in Sydney that killed 15 innocent people.

“We understand the devastating impact this type of offence has on our Jewish community, and we are continuing to prioritise this investigation,” Southern Metro Region Assistant Commissioner Chris Gilbert said.

“We won’t fully understand the motives of this arsonist until we get them into custody.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan expressed her disgust at the incident.

“This is not what any family, street or community deserves to wake up to on Christmas Day in Australia,” she said on X.

“We have a duty to this community: to ensure their families are safe and feel safe right now, and to work long-term in a serious effort to drive anti-Semitism and hate out of our State.”

Like Bondi, St Kilda in Melbourne’s bayside is an area with a Jewish community presence and synagogues. The firebombing of the rabbi’s car took place less than 2km from where the Adass Israel Synagogue was firebombed a year ago.

“I’m told this is not a terrorist attack, but it is certainly an attack on the community. It is racially motivated and there needs to be consequences,” the local State Liberal MP David Southwick told The Australian Jewish News.

It came as a young Canberra man wsa charged after allegedly performing a banned nazi salue after being confronted over “propaganda-style stickers”.

According to the AFP, the man allegedly trespassed at the Australian National University several times in August and September, sticking “propaganda-style” stickers on buildings and other property.

In October, it’s alleged, the man was posting stickers at a shopping centre and performed the banned gesture when confronted.

Police further allege he performed another nazi salute at a different shopping centre on December 12.

Images and video released by the AFP on Friday morning depict a high-vis-clad man being led from his home to a police wagon.

Sheets of stickers referencing neo-nazi groups the National Socialist Network and the European Australian Movement can be seen in the footage alongside associated slogans including “White revolution”.

The 18-year-old was expected to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday charged with two counts of performing a nazi salute, two counts of damaging Commonwealth property and two counts of offensive or disorderly behaviour on Commonwealth premises

“Anyone allegedly performing nazi salutes is displaying criminal behaviour that brings pain and anguish to the Jewish community and divides Australian society,” Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Stephen Nutt said.

Despite the spate of anti-Semitic incidents, Perth-based Federal MP Patrick Gorman, the Assistant Minister to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, defended the Commonwealth’s reluctance to hold a royal commission into the Bondi massacre.

“We need unity and action. I don’t want division and delay,” Mr Gorman said on Friday.

“That’s the choice we’ve made, others choose to go down a path of looking for points of division or looking for excuses to delay. I don’t think that’s the right course, and I’m very confident in the position the Australian Government has taken.”

Unlike NSW, the Federal Government didn’t recall Parliament before Christmas to seek support for new legislation to crack down on hate speech, despite Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke wanting more power to ban hate preachers from coming to Australia.

“The Immigration Minister needs more powers, and the Parliament should provide them. We need stronger hate speech laws, and the parliament should enforce those laws,” Mr Gorman said.