Richmond man arrested over arson attack on car with Chanukah sign

A 47-year-old man has been arrested after a car displaying a Chanukah sign with a menorah was allegedly set alight in the driveway of a St Kilda East home on Christmas Day.

Victoria Police said the Richmond man was arrested without incident on Victoria Street at about 9am on Tuesday following an investigation by the Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit and the Fugitive Squad.

Emergency services were called to Balaclava Road in the early hours of 25 December after reports of a vehicle on fire at a residential property, reportedly the home of a rabbi. The car was unoccupied at the time but had a mobile billboard on its roof celebrating Chanukah.

A woman and her three children who were inside the home were evacuated as a precaution. No one was physically injured.

The man remains in custody and will be interviewed by investigators. Police have not yet confirmed what charges may be laid.

The incident occurred in an area with a large Jewish population, heightening fears within the community following the Bondi Beach terror attack during a Chanukah gathering, as well as earlier arson attacks at the Adass Israel synagogue in December 2024 and the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in 2025.

Jewish leaders have warned the incidents point to an escalating pattern of hatred and have renewed calls for stronger action to protect the community.