B’nai B’rith Condemns Murderous Rampage at Hanukkah Celebration

B’nai B’rith President Robert Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

Reports that a father-and-son pair carried out the murderous terror attacks at Bondi Beach in Australia on Dec. 14 underscore a deeply troubling reality: anti-Semitism is not emerging in a vacuum. It grows where hostility toward Jews and the Jewish state is tolerated, excused or amplified. Ongoing political intolerance of Israel within segments of Australia’s public discourse has helped fuel an environment in which anti-Zionism too often slides into outright anti-Semitism. When demonization of Israel is allowed to masquerade as legitimate debate, it emboldens those who already harbor hatred toward Jews.

Outrage and Sorrow

B’nai B’rith International expresses profound outrage and sorrow following the anti-Semitic terror attack targeting Jews celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, which has left at least 15 dead and more than 40 wounded. This brutal act of violence has shaken not only Australia’s Jewish community, but Jews around the world who increasingly fear that open hatred has become normalized and dangerously unchecked.

Wider Climate of Intolerance

The alleged perpetrators may have been influenced by this wider climate of intolerance—one in which Jews are singled out, Israel is relentlessly vilified and anti-Semitic rhetoric goes insufficiently challenged. History teaches us that words matter. Dangerous political rhetoric against the Jewish state does not remain abstract; it can and does mutate into real-world violence against Jewish people.

B’nai B’rith calls on the Australian government—and all governments—to speak clearly and forcefully against anti-Semitism in all its forms. Condemning hatred must include rejecting rhetoric that dehumanizes Israel and, by extension, Jews everywhere.

We Stand in Solidarity with Victims and Families

We stand in solidarity with the victims and their families, with those directly impacted by this horrific attack and with the entire Australian Jewish community. We say to you now: Your grief is shared. Your fear is understood. And you are not alone.