More than 1,000 people gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 10, 2023, to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. In a shocking turn of events, two assailants opened fire with rifles into the crowd, marking a disturbing act of violence against the Jewish community. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as a “targeted attack on Jewish Australians,” highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Eyewitness reports indicate that the gunmen, a father-and-son duo originally from Pakistan, fired shots for over five minutes. They had prepared an improvised explosive device in their vehicle, further alarming the public. Videos from the scene show the assailants calmly aiming and shooting from a bridge near the beach, while a bystander, identified as Ahmed al Ahmed, bravely intervened, sustaining injuries in the struggle to disarm one of the shooters.
The attack raises significant questions about police preparedness, especially given the context of increasing antisemitic incidents in Australia following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Despite a heightened risk, local authorities seemed unprepared for such violence during a prominent Jewish celebration.
Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, acknowledged the attack’s intent to target Sydney’s Jewish community but refrained from discussing potential intelligence failures when questioned by reporters. Instead, officials emphasized their commitment to ensuring community safety.
According to data from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), antisemitic incidents in Australia have surged in the last two years. This includes notable events such as arson attacks on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne and Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food provider in Sydney. Both incidents have been linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, prompting diplomatic tensions between Australia and Iran. Earlier this year, Australia expelled several Iranian diplomats due to these findings.
On social media, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the Sydney attack, asserting that “terror violence and mass killing shall be condemned, wherever they’re committed.” Nonetheless, concerns linger regarding potential connections between this attack and Iran’s broader influence in the region.
The ECAJ’s recent report indicates that antisemitic incidents in Australia are at historically high levels, nearly five times the average annual number prior to the October 2023 conflict. This spike is the largest among the J7 countries—those with the largest Jewish populations outside of Israel—indicating a worrying trend.
Prior to the Bondi Beach shooting, leaders of the J7 Task Force Against Antisemitism met in Sydney to address the rising security threats to Jewish communities globally. Oren Segal, senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence at the Anti-Defamation League, remarked that the incident reflects a broader escalation of violence against Jewish communities both in Australia and worldwide.
As Australian law enforcement increases security measures in response to this attack, the implications for community safety and the effectiveness of intelligence operations remain under scrutiny. The events at Bondi Beach serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for vigilance and prevention in the face of rising antisemitism.
