Israel's Netanyahu blames Australian policy for antisemitism

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australia’s policies had encouraged antisemitism after a shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed at least 11 people.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Dimona on 14 December, Benjamin Netanyahu said he had warned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese months earlier that Canberra’s approach was, in his words, "promoting and encouraging antisemitism".

He said he wrote to Albanese on 17 August, arguing that recognition of a Palestinian state would "pour fuel on the antisemitism fire" and embolden attacks on Jewish communities.

Netanyahu described antisemitism as "a cancer" and accused the Australian government of failing to confront it, saying leaders who remain silent allow hatred to spread. He linked that failure to the shooting in Sydney, arguing that history would judge governments by whether they respond with resolve rather than hesitation.

He also highlighted the actions of what he called "a brave Muslim man" who intervened during the attack, saying the bystander stopped one of the gunmen and saved lives. Netanyahu said individual courage was not enough and that governments must act decisively to protect Jewish communities.

Gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening (14 December), killing at least 15 people in what Australian officials described as a targeted antisemitic attack. One suspected gunman was killed, a second was left in critical condition, and police said they were investigating whether a third attacker was involved. At least 29 people were taken to hospital, including two police officers.

Authorities said far more people would have been killed without the intervention of the bystander, identified by local media as Ahmed al-Ahmed, who was filmed grappling with a gunman and wresting a rifle from him. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him a "genuine hero", saying many lives were saved by his actions.

Prime Minister Albanese convened an emergency meeting of Australia’s national security committee and condemned the attack as evil "beyond comprehension", calling it a targeted assault on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah. Jewish leaders said the shooting was the most serious antisemitic attack in Australia in decades, amid a rise in incidents since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023.

Australian Muslim leaders also condemned the violence. The Australian National Imams Council said the shooting had no place in society and called for those responsible to be held fully accountable.

Muslim hero saved lives

Ahmed al Ahmed, the bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach gunmen, was shot at least four times and is recovering after surgery, hospital officials said. He is expected to undergo two further operations before being considered for release.

More than £1 million has been raised for the fruit shop owner through a GoFundMe campaign, while public calls have grown for him to be named Australian of the Year for 2025.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed in hospital and praised his actions, writing on Facebook that his bravery "no doubt saved countless lives" and that more people would have been killed without his "selfless courage".

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