Breaking: Antisemitic Terror attack in Bondi Beach

Australian Government Leniency Toward Hate Helped Lead Us Here

At least ten people, including children, have been murdered in a terrorist attack at a Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach, Sydney. Police believe the assault was planned for months.

A few months ago, I was fortunate to meet members of the Jewish community in Australia- leaders and activists from major organizations, mostly the JNF in Sydney and Melbourne. I saw firsthand a strong and cohesive community, deeply connected to Australia and profoundly committed to Jewish life and supporting Israel.

What I heard repeatedly, in both cities, was a deep sense of alarm. Many felt that the Australian government has been enabeling rising antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred. I visited shortly after the Iranian ambassador was expelled, a move that was noted. But among the Jewish community, the prevailing feeling was that this was too little and too late. And that the threat- of hatred, intimidation, and local terrorism- has not been taken seriously enough.

My thoughts are with my friends in Australia, in Sydney and beyond. A community that has worked tirelessly to protect itself and support one another has now seen this wave of hate peak in a mass casualty terror attack. One can hope that this moment forces a reckoning- that the Australian government begins to confront how its actions, and its failures to act, over the past two years have helped legitimize a climate of hatred whose consequences are now tragically clear.