Bondi Beach shooting: Shock, anger as rabbi among 10 killed at Hanukkah event in Australia

Dubai:  Shock and outrage swept through Australia’s Jewish community and beyond after Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Sydney-based Chabad emissary, was confirmed among those killed in the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, according to a spokesperson for the Chabad movement.

Authorities have yet to issue a final casualty count, but at least 10 people were killed in the attack, according to multiple media reports. The shooting took place as members of the local Jewish community gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah, a major religious festival that began at sundown.

Witnesses described scenes of panic and bloodshed as gunfire erupted at the beachfront event, which reports said was attended by around 2,000 people.

“I saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere,” Harry Wilson, who witnessed the attack, told the Sydney Morning Herald. Another witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he initially mistook the sound of gunshots for construction noise.

“Then I heard lots of sirens, saw tonnes of police cars, and people running in panic,” he said. “This is really scary for the entire community.”

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, organisers cancelled a similar Hanukkah event scheduled in Melbourne, saying the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution” and not due to any specific threat, according to an announcement shared within the community.

Jewish leaders described the attack as a devastating blow to a moment meant for celebration. Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the shooting struck at the heart of communal life.

“This is the Jewish community at its best, coming together to mark a happy occasion,” he told Sky News. “If we were targeted deliberately in this way, it’s something none of us could have ever fathomed. It’s horrific.” Ryvchin added that his media adviser was wounded in the attack.

The shooting has also triggered sharp political reactions from Israel, with senior officials expressing horror and anger. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Australia had been warned about potential attacks on Jews and criticised Canberra’s handling of antisemitism.

“I’m appalled by the murderous shooting attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney,” Sa’ar wrote on social media, adding that Australian authorities had received “countless warning signs.” His office said he spoke with David Ossip, president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, to convey support.

Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett also weighed in, writing that “failed and weak leadership on antisemitism led to Bondi,” while posting an image of a blood-stained pair of tzitzit.
“Am Yisrael Chai,” he added.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, blaming the Australian government’s recent decision to recognise a Palestinian state for the attack — a claim for which no evidence has been presented.
“Antisemitic terrorism knows no borders,” Ben Gvir said in a statement, asserting that responsibility lay with Canberra’s policies.

Australian authorities have not said whether the Hanukkah event was deliberately targeted, and investigations into the motive remain ongoing.