Long Before Bondi Massacre, Australian Jews Lived With a Sense of Peril

A deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killed 15 people and heightened the existing sense of vulnerability within the Australian Jewish community. The attack, carried out by two gunmen inspired by ISIS, followed a rise in antisemitic incidents in the country over the past two years, including firebombings. For many Australian Jews, the massacre confirmed long-held fears, intensified since the October 7th Hamas attack and subsequent war in Gaza, which led to increased antisemitic rhetoric and vandalism. Even before the massacre, Jewish institutions in Australia, like synagogues and schools, had armed guards and security measures due to previous antisemitic attacks. The community, many of whom are descendants of Holocaust survivors, had sought refuge in Australia to escape persecution.

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