Gunmen turned Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach into a slaughterhouse on Hanukkah’s first night, killing 15 at a joyful Jewish celebration and exposing a deadly surge in global antisemitism.
Story Snapshot
- Two gunmen fired from a footbridge onto 1,000-2,000 attendees at Chanukah by the Sea, killing 15 including children and elders, injuring 40.
- Police killed one attacker; a civilian hero tackled the second, who faces terrorism charges linked to antisemitic motives.
- Improvised explosive devices found, signaling premeditated mass murder targeting Jews amid rising Australian hate crimes.
- Prime Minister Albanese vows crackdown on extremism; Jewish leaders demand stronger protections without retreating from public life.
- Australia’s worst antisemitic attack shatters illusions of safety, forcing debate on security, speech, and radicalization.
Attack Unfolds on December 14, 2025
Two gunmen positioned on a footbridge near Bondi Pavilion at 6:45 p.m. opened fire on the Chanukah by the Sea crowd. Thousands enjoyed the annual Chabad of Bondi event, featuring menorah lighting and family activities on the first night of Hanukkah. Bullets rained down, killing 15 people outright, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an event organizer. About 40 others suffered gunshot wounds; children and elders numbered among the critically injured.
Chaos erupted as families fled golden sands turned red. Videos captured dark-clad figures with rifles; panic calls flooded emergency lines. One gunman, around 50 years old, fell to police bullets. The second suspect, identified as 24-year-old Naveed Akram from Sydney’s Bonnyrigg, ran until Ahmed El Ahmed, 43, tackled him unarmed.
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon declared the assault a terrorist act targeting Jews. Bomb squads neutralized IEDs in a suspect vehicle and along Campbell Parade, confirming a plot for even greater carnage. ASIO revealed one shooter on prior watchlists, pointing to online radicalization.
Bondi Beach’s Jewish Heart Under Siege
Bondi hosts Australia’s largest Jewish communities, including Holocaust survivors and Soviet immigrants. Chanukah by the Sea drew 1,000-2,000 for decades-old public outreach, defying isolation. Attackers chose this symbolic openness on summer’s eve, near Christmas crowds, to maximize terror. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar blamed Australia’s ignored antisemitic rampage over two years.
Antisemitic incidents spiked since 2023, fueled by Middle East tensions. Jewish groups documented harassment, vandalism, threats. This assault echoes global patterns: Toulouse 2012 school shooting, Pittsburgh 2018 synagogue massacre. Australia’s strict gun laws post-Port Arthur 1996 failed soft targets like beaches.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeled it evil antisemitism striking Australia’s heart. He promised uncompromising action against hate speech and extremism. NSW Premier coordinated federal support; national threat level held at probable, with copycat fears.
Heroes, Suspects, and Community Resolve
Naveed Akram’s Bonnyrigg home raid yielded arrests of a man and woman; father-son links emerged in reports. Islamist ideology drives the antisemitic terrorism charge, per authorities. Chabad of Bondi leads victim aid; Executive Council of Australian Jewry confirms child deaths, pushes site protections.
Ahmed El Ahmed, shot twice tackling the gunman, embodies everyday courage aligning with conservative values of personal responsibility over waiting for government. Jewish leaders reject retreat, insisting public faith sustains freedom. Vigils swelled nationwide; hospitals treated 27 as of Monday.
Short-term, Jewish sites boost security; events cancel. Long-term, expect intelligence reviews, hate crime penalties, online extremism curbs. Bondi tourism dips, but resilience rebuilds. Muslim communities brace for backlash, underscoring extremism’s fringe nature rejected by common sense majorities.
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Chanukah slaughter on Bondi Beach claims at least 12 dead with 29 injured
