The firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue was politically motivated and likely a terrorist incident, police say.

Victoria and Australian Federal police made the classification on Monday after the Adass Israel Synagogue attack in Melbourne’s south-east on Friday.

The investigation will transition to the Joint Counter Terrorism Team.

“This is likely to be a politically motivated attack. This is now a terrorism investigation,” AFP Deputy Commissioner for National Security, Krissy Barrett said.

“We are already well-prepared, well-briefed and well-progressed.”

Police are looking for three suspects.

It came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the AFP had established a taskforce to investigate antisemitism, following the Melbourne fire, an arson attack on the electorate office of Jewish MP Josh Burns and vandalism with anti-Israel graffiti of cars in Sydney.

Cars targeted in Wellington Street, Woollahra. Photo: X

Victorian Chief Commissioner Shane Patton defended not making the declaration sooner.

“Based on the assessment at the time of having a crime scene, albeit in a circumstance and on a synagogue, it was not believed to be sufficient to establish the threshold for a terrorist attack to be declared,” he said.

“We’ve investigated over the weekend, we’ve had significant progress.”

The declaration opens up extra powers for investigators, including the ability to stop, search and seize people without a warrant as well as detain and question those they believe have knowledge of, or links to, the attack.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team is made up of state and federal police, and ASIO officers.

Two of the synagogue’s three buildings were gutted in the fire that erupted early on Friday.

Two people who were inside at the time preparing for morning prayers escaped, with one suffering minor injuries.

“We have ensured that we have increased police in the areas, increased visibility, and making sure that we’re out and about at synagogues, at other places of worship, at places of significance to the Jewish community,” Patton said.

Speaking alongside Patton and Barrett, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the government was seeking advice on how laws could be strengthened to protect people going to places of worship.

“I’m seeking initial advice on how we can strengthen the laws around making sure that people going to church, going to synagogues, going to mosques can do so safely,” she said.

“There are a range of options that are available to us. One example that I can point to is the arrangements we’ve had in Victoria for some time now around making sure that women accessing termination services are … able to get that health treatment and that health support free from being heckled and protested.”

Allan said Monday’s declaration was an important step.

“Can I also say very clearly … that our thoughts again today must be with the Jewish community here in Melbourne, the Jewish community around the Adass Israel Synagogue … and indeed across Australia,” she said.

“This has been an awful, evil, antisemitic and now we know has been confirmed as a terrorist attack.”

Friday’s attack had already been labelled an act of terrorism by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“If you want my personal view, quite clearly, terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community,” Albanese said in Perth on Sunday.

“The atrocities that occurred at the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community, and therefore, from my personal perspective, certainly fulfil that definition of terrorism.”

But Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Albanese of not taking a stronger line, while pledging to deport people on visas who display antisemitic behaviour and a dedicated federal task force to tackle the issue.

If the Coalition is elected after next year’s federal election, the federal police-led body will tasked with investigating historic complaints about antisemitism dating back to October 7, 2023.

This includes “blatant acts of discrimination, racism online and threats that have been made to people of Jewish faith”, Dutton said in Melbourne on Monday.

Investigations into public display of symbols, incitement, harassment and other offences that didn’t result in criminal charges will also be re-opened.

Meanwhile, Jewish Community Council of Victoria CEO Naomi Levin said she had been told five Torah scrolls, handwritten copies of the book of Moses used during prayers, were lost in the fire.

Police are also investigating reports of a bullet found on a footpath near the synagogue in Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea, on Saturday afternoon.

The synagogue remains closed to the public.

-with AAP