Australia experienced the deadliest shooting in its history on Sunday 14 December in Sydney. Two attackers opened fire on a crowd celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach. This openly anti-Semitic terrorist attack left 15 people dead and dozens injured. Australian police arrested the only one of the two terrorists still alive and said the attack was ‘inspired by Islamic State’.
The resurgence of Daesh in Syria in particular, and that of anti-Semitism around the world since October 2023, are at the root of this tragedy that took Australia, so far from the Middle East, by surprise. Because it has global resonance, the Sydney attack was quickly politicised, at the expense of the tribute and respect that the victims deserve. The rejection of hatred and anti-Semitism is being undermined by its exploitation, among others by Benjamin Netanyahu, who links the Bondi Beach massacre to Australia’s recent recognition of Palestine.
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