An Australian magistrate has ruled that the man who set fire to the door of a Melbourne synagogue while worshippers were inside was driven by mental illness, not antisemitism. Angelo Loras pleaded guilty to arson and recklessly endangering lives, but the court found his actions stemmed from untreated schizophrenia rather than hate. Loras was sentenced to four months in prison, which he had already served, and ordered to continue medical treatment and perform unpaid work. The attack occurred amid a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Australia, with other recent arson attacks on Jewish sites attributed by authorities to foreign influence. Despite initial concerns, the judge advised the congregation not to seek restitution from Loras due to his homelessness and lack of means.