Deadly attack on Bondi Beach follows rise in antisemitic incidents in Australia

"The deadly shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at Australia's Bondi Beach follows a sharp rise in antisemitic attacks in the country since the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza. The advocacy group the Executive Council of Australian Jewry tallied more than 3,700 anti-Jewish incidents in the country during the two years after the Hamas attack."

"The pace of incidents during that period was five times what it was in the decade before the attack. The incidents ranged from anti-Israel graffiti to the arson and destruction of a Melbourne synagogue. Other countries have seen a similar rise in antisemitic attacks, although not as sharp as Australia's. Jewish leaders from around the world convened in Sydney earlier this month to highlight the mounting concern."

""What is happening in Australia is not an exception; it should be a wake-up call to communities worldwide," said Marina Rosenberg, a senior vice president for international affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, in a statement earlier this month. "When synagogues can be firebombed in Melbourne and Jews threatened and attacked in New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Buenos Aires and Toronto, this is a threat not only to Jewish safety but to democratic stability itself.""

Antisemitic attacks in Australia rose sharply after the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Gaza war, culminating in a deadly Hanukkah shooting at Bondi Beach. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry tallied more than 3,700 anti-Jewish incidents in the two years after Oct. 7, a pace five times higher than the prior decade. Incidents included anti-Israel graffiti, arson, and the destruction of a Melbourne synagogue. Authorities blamed Iran for organizing earlier arson attacks. Two gunmen, identified as a father and son, killed at least 15 and injured dozens; the prime minister labeled it antisemitic terrorism. Cities worldwide increased security for Hanukkah events. Australia is home to about 117,000 Jews.

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