AUSTRALIA: 11 killed in shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach

Chabad, a worldwide Orthodox Jewish movement, said Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger was among those killed at the Bondi Beach Hanukkah event.

“For 18 years, since his marriage to wife Chaya, he has served as a rabbi and chaplain in the Bondi community,” the official Chabad movement website Chabad.org posted on its X account.

British media have reported that Schlanger, who lived in Australia, was born in the UK and grew up in London.

The Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach was organized by Chabad,the group has said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry says one Israeli citizen was among those killed after gunmen fired on a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday.

The ministry did not provide any further details.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he had spoken with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.

Saar said the Australian government should take stronger action on antisemitism in the country.
He said that “security for the Jewish community in Australia will be achieved only through a real change in the public atmosphere.”

According to Jewish monitoring groups, including the Central Council of Jews in Germany, antisemitic incidents in Australia have risen by a factor of five

since Israel’s campaign against Hamas began, in response to the militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

New South Wales premier Chris Minns has praised a bystander who tackled and disarmed an armed man during the attack, saying the intervention had saved lives.

Video circulating on social media shows a man in a white shirt running toward a gunman in a dark shirt holding a rifle in a car park.

The bystander tackles the gunman from behind, wrestles the rifle from his hands, and briefly points it back at him before placing the weapon on the ground.

The footage then shows the gunman stumbling backward toward a nearby bridge, where a second shooter was positioned.

Speaking at a press conference, Minns described the moment as extraordinary.

“It’s the most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen — a man walking up to a gunman who had fired on the community and single-handedly disarming him, putting his own life at risk to save the lives of countless other people,” he said.

“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery.”

New South Wales police have activated special counterterrorism powers after declaring the Bondi Beach shooting a terrorist incident, Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at a news conference.

“As a result of the circumstances of the incident tonight at 9:36 p.m. this evening, I declared this to be a terrorist incident,” Lanyon told a press conference.

“I’ve also authorized special powers… to ensure that if there is a third offender — and we are currently investigating that at the moment — we will make sure that we prevent any further activity.”

“There is a massive police response,” he said.

He said the investigation would be led by the counterterrorism command, supported by specialist units.

“We will have a significant investigation. Our counterterrorism command will lead this investigation with investigators from the state crime command. No stone will be left unturned,” Lanyon said.

The commissioner said police are focused on public safety and urged calm. “We will focus to ensure that there is no further threat to the public,” he said. “This is a time of calm. This is a time to make sure that there is no retribution.”

The state premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, has confirmed at least 12 people have died in what he described as a targeted terrorist attack on Sydney’s Jewish community.

Minns said one of the suspects was among those killed, and another was in custody, after what he described as a “horrifying, evil attack.”

“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” he said. “What should have been a night of peace and joy celebrated in that community with families and supporters has been shattered.”

The premier said his thoughts were with Jewish Australians.

“Our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community tonight,” he said. “I can only imagine the pain that they’re feeling right now to see their loved ones killed as they celebrate this ancient holiday.”

Minns said it was the responsibility of all Australians to stand with the Jewish community.
“It’s a responsibility of all Australians to wrap their arms around Australia’s Jewish community and help them get through this incredibly difficult period,” he said.

The premier also highlighted the danger faced by New South Wales police and “extraordinary acts of personal courage and bravery from individuals in our community.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Australia’s government of fueling antisemitism.

Netanyahu’s remarks come after Sunday’s shooting in Sydney that targeted a Jewish celebration, in which two gunmen killed at least 12 people.

“Three months ago I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism,” Netanyahu said, referring to a letter he sent to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in August after Canberra announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Senior European Union officials have expressed outrage over the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that she was “shocked” by the attack, which targeted a Jewish event on the first night of Hanukkah, adding that Europe stood with Australia and Jewish communities everywhere and was united against violence, antisemitism, and hatred.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said she was “absolutely horrified” by images of what she called an appalling attack as Hanukkah celebrations began. She said her thoughts were with the victims and the wider Jewish community in Australia and beyond, adding that this light would not be extinguished.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was deeply shocked by images from the shooting at the Hanukkah celebrations.

She said the violence against the Jewish community must be unequivocally condemned and added that Europe stood in full solidarity with Australia, which she described as one of Europe’s closest friends.

Germany has expressed shock over the terrorist attack in Sydney on the first day of Hanukkah.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday said he was left “speechless” by the attack.

“This is an attack on our shared values. We must put a stop to this antisemitism — here in Germany and worldwide,” Merz said in a post on the social media platform X.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X that the attack was an act of hatred directed at Jews worldwide and said his thoughts were with the families of those killed, the injured, and the Jewish community.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said security agencies are investigating the attack – Image: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the shooting was a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah.

He said it should have been a day of joy and a celebration of faith, describing the violence as antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation.

“An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian,” Albanese said.

He added that Australians were devastated by what he called an attack on the country’s way of life.

Videos circulating on X have appeared to show people on the beach and in a nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens were heard.

One clip showed a man in a black shirt firing a large weapon before being tackled by a man in a white T-shirt, who wrestled the weapon away, while another video appeared to show a different man firing from a pedestrian bridge.

Separate footage showed two men pinned to the ground by uniformed police on a small pedestrian bridge.

Officers were seen attempting to resuscitate one of the men.

Australian police have declared the deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach a terrorist incident and said an improvised explosive device has been found linked to a suspect.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a news conference on Sunday, “As a result of the circumstances of the incident tonight at 9:36 p.m. this evening, I declared this to be a terrorist incident.”

Lanyon said police had also located an explosive device connected to one of the attackers.

“We have found an improvised explosive device in a car which is linked to the deceased offender,” he said.

Police said at least 29 people were wounded in the attack. Two of those injured were police officers, Lanyon said.

Eyewitnesses have described scenes of chaos during the shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, with reports of dozens of gunshots.

Witnesses told broadcaster Sky News they heard about 50 shots that sounded like a rifle and described seeing “huge, black guns” as people ran in panic.

A close-up image of one firearm appeared to show a pump action shotgun, a highly restricted weapon that requires a Category C or Category D firearms license in Australia.

Hundreds of people were seen fleeing the area around 6.40 p.m. on Sunday, with video showing two men dressed in black firing weapons near the beach car park.

Sky News said a girl, about 10 years old, was among those shot. A doctor who asked not to be named told the network the child was “bleeding profusely” before being taken away by ambulance.

A major Australian Muslim organization has condemned a shooting that killed 10 people on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

The Australian National Imams Council said in a statement the attack was “horrific” and said its thoughts and prayers were with the victims, their families, and all those affected.

The council said the shooting was deeply traumatic and called on Australians to stand together.

“This is a moment for all Australians, including the Australian Muslim community, to stand together in unity, compassion, and solidarity,” it said.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has mourned the loss of life, saying the attack had been intentionally aimed at Jews celebrating the start of the festival of Hanukkah.

“At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach,” Herzog said, according to a statement from his office in Jerusalem.

“The heart of the entire nation of Israel misses a beat at this very moment, as we pray for the recovery of the wounded, we pray for them and we pray for those who lost their lives.”