Footage from the scene shows a Toyota Hilux reversing into the gate of the largest shul in Queensland’s capital city, as an individual standing on the opposite side quickly steps away to avoid being struck.

Police tracked down the vehicle shortly after the incident and took a 32-year-old man into custody, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

According to the ABC, the suspect faces charges including willful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and drug-related offenses.

Law enforcement officials are investigating the episode as a criminal matter rather than an act of terrorism. Police said they do not believe the driver intended to enter the shul building itself.

Australia’s Anti-Defamation League denounced what it described as a “violent vehicle attack” on the shul, calling it “a chilling assault on a sacred place of worship and a stark reminder that antisemitism in Australia is escalating beyond words.”

“While no one was physically injured, the deliberate targeting of a house of worship has sent shockwaves through the Jewish community and reinforced the urgent need for decisive action against hate-fueled violence,” the organization said.

Dvir Abramovich, the group’s chair, said the truck “didn’t just smash into metal gates last night. It smashed into the idea that Jews in Australia can pray in peace. When a vehicle is driven at a synagogue that is intimidation on wheels.

“We are told this is not being treated as terrorism. But when a synagogue is deliberately attacked, the label matters less than the impact. The fear is real. The shock is real. The message is unmistakable. Since October 7, antisemitism in this country has not whispered, it has roared,” he said.

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{Matzav.com}