Victorian detectives have identified a 47-year-old man they want to speak with following the suspected arson attack on a rabbi’s vehicle adorned with a “Happy Chanukah” sign in Melbourne’s south-east.
John Argento has been named as a person of interest in the investigation into the rabbi’s car firebombing that occurred in the early hours of Christmas Day in St Kilda East.
The attack has intensified fears within Australia’s Jewish community, coming just 11 days after the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration.
Who Is John Argento?
Victoria Police released a photo and description of Argento on Friday, 27 December, following their investigation into the suspicious vehicle fire on Balaclava Road.
John Argento, the person of interest in the St Kilda East vehicle arson investigation
Authorities have confirmed Argento is known to police and is already wanted on an unrelated warrant involving alleged deception offences. He reportedly lives a transient lifestyle, moving frequently between Melbourne’s inner southern and northern suburbs.
Physical description provided by police:
- Age: 47 years old
- Height: Approximately 185cm
- Build: Slim
- Hair: Grey
- Eyes: Blue
- Complexion: Fair
Police stressed there is currently no indication Argento poses a specific risk to the broader Jewish community. However, detectives are actively searching for his whereabouts and making enquiries.
The Christmas Day Attack
Emergency services responded to reports of a vehicle fire at approximately 2:50am on 25 December in Balaclava Road, St Kilda East.
The unoccupied grey SUV was found engulfed in flames in a residential driveway. The vehicle bore a prominent mobile billboard mounted on its roof reading “Happy Chanukah!”
A woman and three children were evacuated from the nearby house as flames spread dangerously close to the residence. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The car belonged to a well-known local rabbi who was overseas at the time of the attack and is attempting to return to Australia to be with his family.
Police Investigation Expands
Detectives from the Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit are treating the incident as a suspicious fire with potential links to antisemitism.
Police also want to speak with Argento about a separate vehicle break-in that occurred approximately 20 minutes after the alleged arson attack in the same area.
Assistant Police Commissioner Chris Gilbert addressed the community’s concerns: “We understand the devastating impact this type of offence has on our Jewish community and we are continuing to prioritise this investigation.”
The vehicle is currently undergoing forensic examination as part of the ongoing investigation.
Government and Community Response
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese swiftly condemned the attack via social media, calling it “another terrible act of suspected antisemitism.”
“There is no place in Australia for this kind of hatred and it has to stop,” Albanese stated. “Federal authorities stand ready to assist.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described the incident as deeply disturbing. “This is not what any family, street or community deserves to wake up to on Christmas Day in Australia,” she said.
Allan confirmed police had increased patrols in St Kilda East, home to a large Jewish population, and were treating the arson very seriously.
Local Jewish community leaders expressed alarm and distress. Rabbi Effy Block from Chabad of St Kilda confirmed he had been in contact with the affected family, which includes another rabbi.
Context: Rising Antisemitism in Australia
This latest incident comes against a backdrop of escalating antisemitic attacks across Australia since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel and the subsequent Gaza war.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry recorded over 3,700 anti-Jewish incidents in the two years following 7 October 2023 – five times the rate seen in the previous decade.
Recent major incidents include:
- 14 December 2025: Two gunmen killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in what authorities declared a terrorist attack
- December 2024: The Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Victoria, was firebombed in a probable terrorist attack
- November 2024: Multiple vehicles torched and anti-Israel graffiti sprayed in Woollahra, Sydney
- October 2024: Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Bondi targeted by arsonists
Australia’s Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) raised the national terrorism threat level from “possible” to “probable” in August 2024, citing tensions related to the Gaza war.
Robert Gregory, CEO of the Australian Jewish Association, said Jewish families should not live in fear of their homes or cars being attacked.
“This latest incident underscores why the Prime Minister’s refusal to establish a national Royal Commission into antisemitism is inadequate,” Gregory stated.
Federal Action on Antisemitism
The Australian Federal Police announced on Friday they had also charged an 18-year-old man who allegedly performed Nazi salutes and distributed far-right propaganda.
The man allegedly placed Nationalist Socialist Network stickers at a Canberra shopping centre in October and performed a Nazi salute when confronted by a member of the public.
He faces charges of trespassing, defacing commonwealth property, and performing Nazi salutes in public – the latter carrying a maximum five-year prison sentence.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt condemned all forms of antisemitism. “Anti-Semitism is a cancer, it is something that needs to be dealt with and removed from Australian society,” he said.
New South Wales Police moved late on Christmas Eve to ban protest rallies from key metropolitan areas in Sydney following the Bondi attack.
Also Read: Sydney Archbishop Delivers Christmas Message of Hope After Bondi Tragedy
What Happens Next?
Victorian Police are urging anyone with information, CCTV footage, or dashcam video from the Balaclava Road area during the early morning hours of 25 December to come forward.
The investigation continues as detectives work to locate John Argento and piece together the events leading to the rabbi’s car firebombing.
Community safety organisations have confirmed heightened patrols will continue in Jewish neighbourhoods across Melbourne.
Jewish protection group CSG Victoria stated no community members were injured in the attack and confirmed they remain in close contact with Victoria Police.
The incident has become another flashpoint in Australia’s ongoing struggle with rising antisemitic hate, placing renewed pressure on federal and state governments to strengthen protections for Jewish Australians.
