Australia's Hanukkah Atrocity

On December 14, 2025, the iconic shores of Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia—a place synonymous with summer joy and community gatherings—were transformed into a scene of unimaginable horror. During the "Chanukah by the Sea" event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, two gunmen, a father and son inspired by Islamic State ideology, opened fire on hundreds of attendees.

At least 15 people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi who had dedicated his life to the Jewish community, and a Holocaust survivor. Dozens more were injured in what authorities swiftly declared a terrorist attack motivated by antisemitism.

This was not a random act of violence. The attackers targeted Jewish Australians specifically because of their faith, turning a festival of light into one of darkness. Among the victims were Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a beloved organizer of the event and father of young children, and other innocent families gathered for music, games, and celebration.

The root cause was clear: hatred toward Jewish people, a hatred that has been surging in Australia for years.Yet, in the immediate aftermath, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's response emphasized tightening Australia's already strict gun laws, vowing further restrictions on firearms despite the country's low rates of gun violence since the 1996 Port Arthur reforms.

In other words, the PM wants to blame the guns used in this horrific attack and not the root cause of it - which was group hatred of the Jewish people. Over a dozen Jews murdered in his country and he is blaming inanimate objects instead of the human beings pulling the triggers. Can any politician be more out-of-touch with the reality in his country?

Jewish community leaders and international figures, argued that his government's broader approach to rising antisemitism has been inadequate for years. Reports from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry document thousands of antisemitic incidents in recent years—graffiti, assaults, arson on synagogues yet concrete actions to combat hate have lagged.

Australia has seen one of the sharpest global increases in antisemitic attacks since October 2023, with incidents remaining at unprecedented levels even in 2025. Jewish leaders have repeatedly warned that unchecked vitriol could escalate to violence, and the Bondi attack tragically proved them right.

Blaming guns while downplaying the need for a robust, zero-tolerance stance against antisemitic hatred sends a weak signal. It deflects from the ideological root cause: bigotry that views Jews as targets simply for existing and celebrating their heritage.In stark contrast, voices from abroad have been unequivocal in naming the problem.

Russ McAlmond, a U.S. Marine veteran and Republican candidate challenging Senator Jeff Merkley for Oregon's U.S. Senate seat in 2026, swiftly condemned the attack as a direct result of antisemitism, not the weapons used. McAlmond has made zero tolerance for antisemitism and racism a cornerstone of his campaign, pledging to confront all group hatred head-on if elected.

His clear-eyed focus on the motive—Jew-hatred—stands as a model for domestic and international political leadership in times of crisis, reminding us that true strength lies in addressing evil by name, not deflecting to secondary factors.

The Bondi Beach massacre is a wake-up call. Governments must do more than offer condolences or tweak laws around inanimate objects; they must actively eradicate the scourge of antisemitism through education, enforcement, and unwavering condemnation of hate in all forms.

Anything less dishonors the victims—a child robbed of her future, a rabbi slain while bringing light to his community, and survivors of past horrors killed again by intolerance. Light must defeat darkness, but only if political leaders have the moral courage to shine it directly on the source of the shadows - hate and antisemitism.