Hollywood and World Leaders Mourn Bondi Hanukkah Terror as Antisemitism Explodes

What was meant to be a peaceful Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach turned into a night of bloodshed and horror as two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish gathering, killing 16 people, including a Holocaust survivor, a rabbi, and a child, and leaving nearly 30 wounded.

The shooting, carried out during the “Chanukah by the Sea” event on December 14, has rocked Australia’s Jewish community and drawn global condemnation including from Hollywood stars, international leaders, and former President Donald Trump.

“My heart is shattered,” Israeli actress Gal Gadot wrote on Instagram. “This darkness deliberately struck at a sacred moment of community and hope… We must honor the victims not with silence, but by demanding a world where every life is safe.”

Gadot, who served in the Israel Defense Forces before her acting career, called the massacre an anti-Semitic terror attack, urging people around the world to “send light into the darkness.”

Ashton Kutcher echoed the heartbreak on X, formerly Twitter “Antisemitic rhetoric is not abstract it carries a cost, and my brothers and sisters continue to pay it.”

Australian actress Rebel Wilson, visibly shaken, called the shooting “the most un-Australian thing to happen.” She added, “We shouldn’t have gun violence in Australia. We shouldn’t have antisemitism. It’s not us!”

But for many in the Jewish community, this moment felt inevitable. The Bondi shooting is just the latest and most horrific event in a wave of anti-Jewish hate that has surged since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks, which killed 1,200 Israelis and launched the ongoing war in Gaza.

Sara Foster pulled no punches in her reaction to the shooting, writing “We sat back dismissing hate crimes against Jewish people… We have had ENOUGH. Praying for the innocent families isn’t enough. WAKING up to what is happening is the only option.”

The response wasn’t limited to celebrities. Former President Donald Trump called on Americans to “celebrate proudly” and not to cower in fear “Be proud of who you are,” Trump told Fox News.

Even King Charles III, Australia’s constitutional monarch, released a powerful statement condemning the “dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack” and praising the “heroic actions” of police and bystanders.

Officials say the gunmen deliberately targeted the Jewish event, arriving shortly after 6:45 p.m., just as the first candle of Hanukkah was being lit. One shooter was killed, and the second is in critical condition. Authorities are also investigating the possibility of a third accomplice.

The New South Wales Police Force confirmed the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. At least 29 people were hospitalized, including two police officers.

“At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists,” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog. “Our hearts go out to them… as we pray for the recovery of the wounded.”

What makes this tragedy even more haunting is the slow-burning wave of antisemitism that has plagued Australia for the last year. Jewish communities have reported firebombings, graffiti, and open hostility in schools, hospitals, and the streets. A report released this month counted over 1,600 anti-Jewish incidents triple the previous record.

And now the worst fear has come true Jewish blood spilled in broad daylight, during a moment of peace and faith.

The world is watching, and some are finally waking up. But for families mourning in Bondi and Jews around the world, this wasn’t just a tragedy it was a warning.

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