Australian PM Albanese calls Sydney Hanukkah attack ‘pure anti-Semitism’
"This is a targeted attack on Australian Jews on the first day of Hanukkah. This is an act of anti-Semitism, pure anti-Semitism, that has struck our people"
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday labeled the attack during the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle in Sydney as “pure anti-Semitism,” hours after initially condemning the violence without specifically referencing the Jewish community.
In his first statement, Albanese said: “The scenes in Bondi are shocking and disturbing. My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected,” omitting mention of the Jewish community targeted.
At a press conference three hours later, Albanese directly acknowledged the attack’s antisemitic nature: “This afternoon there was a terrible terrorist attack during a Hanukkah celebration. This is a targeted attack on Australian Jews on the first day of Hanukkah. This is an act of anti-Semitism, pure anti-Semitism, that has struck our people.”
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He emphasized that the attack was not only against Jewish Australians but against the nation as a whole: “An attack on Australian Jews is an attack on every Australian. From this moment, national unity will grow; Australians from all walks of life will embrace their Jewish Australian brothers and sisters. My message to the Jews of Australia is that your Australian brothers stand with you tonight and condemn this horror.”
A journalist challenged Albanese over his government’s policies, linking them to a rise in anti-Semitic incidents since October 7, including recognizing a Palestinian state and establishing a team to address Islamophobia alongside antisemitism. Albanese responded: “Yes, we take it seriously, and we will continue to act and work with the Jewish community and their leaders.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, saying: “A few months ago, I warned the Prime Minister of Australia that their policies were fueling antisemitism. Antisemitism is a cancer, and leaders must confront it. Today, a cold-blooded murder occurred in Sydney. We are fighting global antisemitism, and the only way is to denounce it and defeat it.”
International reactions varied. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially did not call the attack anti-Semitic.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned the violence without mentioning the Jewish community, referring instead to Gaza and southern Lebanon: “Just as we condemn and reject attacks on any innocent civilian in Gaza, in southern Lebanon, or in any other region of the world, we condemn, according to the same principle and duty, what happened in Sydney.”