Terrorists in Australia Strike at Jewish Hanukkah Celebration
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Australia has now witnessed, in the most brutal and unmistakable way, what follows when antisemitic hatred and Islamist extremism are tolerated, rationalised, or downplayed. At least 16 people were murdered in a terrorist attack targeting a Jewish Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach — a public celebration of faith transformed into a scene of bloodshed.
CNN reports, “At least 11 people died when the gunman started shooting less than two hours into a Hanukkah event that was due to start at 5 p.m. local time. A 12-year-old girl and a rabbi are among the victims, Alexander Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told CNN.”
This was not random violence. It was a deliberate act of terror against Jews, carried out in the open, during a sacred religious event, in one of Australia’s most iconic public spaces. The symbolism was intentional. The message was clear: Jews are to be hunted, even in societies that pride themselves on tolerance and democracy.
The BBC says, “Hanukkah (or Chanukah in a more traditional transliteration from Hebrew) is the Jewish festival of light. Historically, it marks the Jews winning a battle against the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago to practise their religion freely.”
Authorities have identified a suspect in the attack, and investigations remain ongoing. What is already clear, however, is that this massacre unfolded against the backdrop of a surging wave of antisemitic incidents that have shaken Australia over the past year.
AP News reports: “The massacre at one of Australia’s most popular and iconic beaches followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year. Authorities said one of the gunmen was known to the security services, though there had been no specific threat.”
That statement alone should chill every citizen. Known extremists, known hatred, known danger — yet no decisive prevention.
For more than a year, openly antisemitic demonstrations, intimidation campaigns, and glorification of violence against Jews have been allowed to flourish across Western cities — from Sydney and Melbourne to Paris, London, and New York. These movements may wear different political labels, but they converge on a single obsession: the demonisation of Jews and the legitimisation of violence against them.
History teaches, without exception, that when such hatred is normalised on the streets, terrorism soon follows.
Among those murdered at Bondi Beach was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a deeply respected figure and a central presence at the Hanukkah event. His killing was not incidental. It was an assault on Jewish religious life itself — on faith, tradition, and communal continuity.
International condemnation was swift. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated: “Antisemitism has no place in this world. Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia.”
Yet words alone are no longer enough.
According to The Times of Israel, Israeli security officials disclosed that Australia had received multiple warningsabout threats to its Jewish community. These warnings were not theoretical. They reflected a deteriorating security environment driven by relentless incitement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blunt in his assessment, warning that policies adopted by Australia and other Western nations — including symbolic concessions made in the face of extremist pressure — have helped embolden those who hate Jews.
Netanyahu said: “Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent. Weakness invites aggression. You must replace weakness with action.”
Bondi Beach is now a scar on Australia’s conscience. The question facing every democratic society is no longer whether antisemitism is rising — that is undeniable. The question is whether governments will finally confront the ideologies that fuel it, or continue to issue condolences after each new massacre.
For Jewish communities worldwide, the lesson is painfully familiar. Hatred ignored does not fade. It escalates — until it kills.
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi’s website and Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK