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The chief rabbi of the United Kingdom shared a harrowing account of his cousin and the cousin’s wife narrowly escaping harm during the violent attack at Bondi Beach. The two survivors hid beneath a doughnut stand for fifteen agonizing minutes as gunfire erupted around them. “People to their right and left were being shot dead,” Sir Ephraim Mirvis recounted, highlighting the terrifying circumstances.
The attack, which targeted a Jewish Hanukkah celebration held on the beach in Sydney, left fifteen individuals dead, including a ten-year-old girl. Rabbi Mirvis emphasized that Hanukkah embodies a declaration by Jewish communities worldwide asserting, “we belong and we will not hide who we are.” Tragically, this affirmation was met with “murderous hatred” during Sunday’s mass shooting. He called attention to the urgent need to confront the root causes of “toxic antisemitism.”
Planning to visit Sydney, Rabbi Mirvis urged society to unite against what he described as the “normalised rhetoric that demonises Jews and the only Jewish State.” He condemned the targeting of Jewish participants at the event “for the simple act of gathering together, visibly and peacefully, as Jews.” Representing the largest Jewish community in the UK, the chief rabbi stated that a society’s true “moral health” is tested by the safety and freedom it affords minority groups to assemble publicly. The ongoing need for constant security assessments at Jewish public gatherings signals a deeper societal failure, he insisted, adding that Jews frequently find themselves “on the front line” facing repetitive terrorist threats.
In response to the incident, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who spoke with Rabbi Mirvis soon after the attack, committed to increasing security at Hanukkah events. He acknowledged the growing insecurity felt by Jewish communities in Britain and noted that such violent incidents coincide alarmingly with significant moments in the Jewish calendar. Highlighting a previous attack at Heaton Park Synagogue on Yom Kippur, which resulted in two fatalities, Starmer affirmed the government’s resolve to “take every step we can and use all powers” to ensure the safety of British Jews. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones planned to visit Manchester to join Hanukkah celebrations with survivors of the September attack. She expressed solidarity with the Jewish community and emphasized the importance of safeguarding their ability to celebrate openly.
The assault at Bondi Beach occurred at approximately 18:47 local time on Sunday, during a public event organized by the Jewish center Chabad of Bondi attended by about a thousand people. Videos circulating after the shooting showed crowds fleeing in panic amid a barrage of gunfire. Victims ranged in age from ten to eighty-seven, including two rabbis and a Holocaust survivor. The alleged assailants have been identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who died at the scene, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, currently in critical condition in hospital.
Addressing the broader climate of antisemitism, Rabbi Mirvis condemned the prevalence of inflammatory slogans like “globalise the intifada,” describing them as calls that “incite hatred and which inspire people to engage in hate action.” He questioned why such rhetoric remains permitted, clarifying its deadly consequences: “I’ll tell you the meaning… it’s what happened on Bondi beach yesterday.” Calling for stricter measures against hate speech, the chief rabbi urged tougher enforcement to prevent violence fueled by such incitement. The Community Security Trust (CST), responsible for protecting Jewish communities in the UK, reported record levels of anti-Jewish hate crimes, particularly swelling since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Dave Rich, head of policy for the CST, linked violent language at protests and on campuses directly with violent attacks, noting that the Bondi attack represents “the extreme end of this political spectrum.”
The rise in antisemitism drew condemnation from political leaders including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who described the attack as “absolutely horrified” and acknowledged that the government has “not done enough” in recent years to combat antisemitism. The Prime Minister’s office reiterated the government’s commitment to stand with British Jews, citing existing efforts and funding aimed at countering antisemitism in the wake of attacks on synagogues.
Reflecting on the significance of Hanukkah, Rabbi Mirvis recounted its origins nearly 2,150 years ago when a small group of Jews defied the harsh decrees of Emperor Antiochus Epiphanes, who forbade open practice of their faith under threat of death. The festival’s enduring message celebrates their refusal “to be intimidated or erased.” Concluding with a statement on the current Jewish community’s spirit, the chief rabbi said: “The Jewish community is nervous. The Jewish community is strong. The Jewish community is worried, but we’re tenacious. You’ll see us during the eight days of Hanukkah, we’ll be out there.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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