Australian officials revealed Tuesday that only two police officers were on duty at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney when terrorists opened fire, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.
The attack occurred Sunday night at an open-air event on Bondi Beach attended by roughly 1,000 people. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the two officers were stationed at or near the event when the shooting began, with additional police arriving within moments.
Witnesses reported that the father-and-son attackers fired into the crowd for up to ten minutes. Police engaged the gunmen, killing one at the scene. The second attacker was critically wounded and remains hospitalized.
The massacre is being described as the deadliest antisemitic attack on a Jewish community outside Israel in decades. In its aftermath, Jewish leaders sharply criticized the Australian government, arguing that unchecked antisemitic rhetoric at recent anti-Israel protests helped create a dangerous climate.
At a vigil, Rabbi Nochum Schapiro of North Shore Chabad condemned what he called tolerance of “vile hate,” pointing to protests where chants such as “Gas the Jews” or “Where’s the Jews” were heard. He said repeated warnings to government officials went unanswered.
Several civilians were hailed as heroes for attempting to stop the attackers. Boris and Sofia Gurman were killed while trying to intervene. Another man, Ahmed al Ahmed, disarmed one of the gunmen before being shot multiple times and is expected to recover.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Western governments to take immediate action to protect Jewish communities worldwide.
