Massacre of the Jewish community by Islamist terrorists on Bondi Beach

Allow me to start on a personal note. On Sunday night, 16 people were killed and some 50 people wounded by two Islamic terrorists who shot at the Jewish community celebrating the start of Hanukkah at the Chanukah by the Sea festival on Bondi Beach. The Bondi victims include Alex Kleytman, 87, a holocaust survivor and a close friend of my son's family.

Today is the funeral of Alexander Kleytman, and I forward our deep condolences to Alexander's family and to my daughter-in-law Anna and her parents, Leo and Mila, on the passing of their dear friend Alex. Our thoughts and hearts are with you at this difficult time. May you find comfort and strength in our love and support.

Anyone wishing to support Alex Kleytman's wife as she deals with this unimaginable tragedy is welcome to do so here through a GoFundMe link.

Looking at broader issues, the Bondi massacre has tested Australia's social cohesion as never before. Although antisemitism was present in Australia before Hamas attacked Israel, following the tragic events of 7 October 2023, antisemitism has risen to deeply troubling levels, and some Australian Muslim leaders welcomed this atrocity. A prominent Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun immediately celebrated the killings of Israelis at a rally in front of Lakemba Mosque, describing it as "a day of victory". The next day, well before Israel took military action against Hamas in Gaza, a demonstration involving hundreds of Hamas supporters took place in front of the Sydney Town Hall and marched to the Opera House with shouts including "F..k the Jews!" and worse. Although such calls breached Australian law and ran counter to the core tenets of Australian multiculturalism, law enforcement authorities and political leaders initially took minimal action. The only person told by the police to move on was someone carrying the Israeli flag.

The Albanese government's initial response to outbreaks of antisemitism was to couple its denunciations of antisemitism with equivalent denunciations of Islamophobia, although there were far fewer attacks against the Islamic community.

Following the Opera House demonstrations, talks were held between government officials and pro-Palestinian advocates, resulting in anti-Israeli rhetoric being toned down at subsequent pro-Palestinian demonstrations. However, antisemitic sentiments continued, and synagogues have been set on fire and vandalised, Jewish childcare centres and cars in residential areas have been firebombed, and schools have been targeted with graffiti. Radicalised preachers continued to spread anti-Semitic messages.

On 9 July 2024, the government appointed Jillian Segal as Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism and established the Office of Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.

Segal's Special Envoy's Plan to Combat Antisemitism was presented on 11 July 2025. See: J. Segal, Special Envoy's Plan to Combat Antisemitism. A policy-oriented framework for government and the Australian community 2025" (accessed on 15.07.2025). The Terms of Reference given to Ms Segal are available here.

The Report concluded that the "foundation of our nation" was at risk as Jewish people faced fearful and disrupted lives. It noted that antisemitism in Australia has become a mainstream threat, "ingrained and normalised and normalised within academia and the cultural space", challenging national values, social cohesion and public safety:

From October 2023 to September 2024, antisemitic incidents surged by 316%, with over 2,000 cases reported – threats, assaults, vandalism and intimidation. In October and November 2023 alone, episodes increased by over 700% compared to the previous year, reflecting incitement by those with extremist views and misinformation in the media and online. These figures exclude much of the hate online, where antisemitism has exploded. (Page 4 of the Report)

The Plan is a bold call to action seeking to address the root causes of antisemitism, educate Australians about it, and ensure the Jewish community is protected. The report also called for strengthening legislation on antisemitic conduct and "intimidating protest activity," for strict screening of foreigners entering Australia for antisemitic views, monitoring media and stripping government funding from arts bodies and universities if they fail to combat antisemitism.

The Prime Minister, who stood alongside Ms Segal for the launch of her plan, said that some recommendations would be implemented quickly, while others would require long-term consideration. Concerns were raised that some of her recommendations might compromise freedom of speech.