Public display of prohibited terrorist symbol (theMuqwaki seal variant of the "Jihadist flag")
Placing explosive with intent to cause harm
On 14 December 2025, anISIS-inspired terrorist attack occurred at theArcher Park area ofBondi Beach inSydney, Australia, during a celebration of theJewish holiday ofHanukkah attended by around 1,000 people. Two gunmen began shooting towards the Jewish celebration at 6:42pm. They were allegedly Indian national Sajid Akram and his Australian son Naveed Akram, who were both shot at the scene by police. Sixteen people were killed including Sajid, eleven other men, three women, and a 10-year-old girl. Most of the victims were members of theAustralian Jewish community.
Naveed survived and was treated at a Sydney hospital. He is now on remand inGoulburn Correctional Centre awaiting trial for 15 murders and 44 other charges.Four people confronted the gunmen, attempting to curb the attack. Three were killed and one suffered gunshot wounds. Volunteersurf lifesavers and Waverley Council lifeguards rushed to the scene to provide first aid during the active shooting. Members of theNew South Wales Police Force shot the two alleged gunmen, killing Sajid and critically injuring Naveed, who was detained. Forty people, including two police officers, were injured and taken to various hospitals. Fourhomemade bombs were thrown into the crowd but failed to detonate. Another homemade bomb was found in a car belonging to one of the alleged shooters.
Numerous world leaders, news outlets and Australian authorities declared that the shooting was motivated byantisemitism. The Australian prime minister,Anthony Albanese, said the shooting was "deliberately targeted at the Jewish community on the first day of Chanukah". The ongoing investigation by federal and New South Wales police forces is named "Operation Arques". Afederalroyal commission will examine the circumstances surrounding the attack. A federal review into federal agencies that had begun, before the decision to hold a royal commission had been made, will become part of the commission.
The Bondi shooting is the first fatal attack onJews in Australia, the worstterrorist attack in Australia, and thedeadliest mass shooting in Australia since 1996. Mass casualty attacks are uncommon in Australia; the country enacted strictgun laws in response to the 1996Port Arthur massacre in which 35 people were killed. Following the Bondi Beach shooting, theNational Cabinet unanimously agreed to further restrict gun laws and introducea gun buyback program. The attack led to changes to federal hate speech laws and was marked by a national day of reflection and a national day of mourning. In New South Wales, the attack led to changes to terrorism and protest laws.
The December 2025 attack in Bondi was the first deadly attack targetingJews in Australia.[1][2][3] Prior to this incident, the Australian Jewish community experienced an increase inantisemitic attacks on Jewish individuals and institutions since the beginning of theGaza war in October 2023.[4][5] The shooting targeted an annual community Hanukkah celebration organised byChabad named "Chanukah by the Sea".[a][6][7] The event was held atArcher Park just east of theBondi Pavilion, with around 1,000 people in attendance.[8][9]
Extremist groups have risen in Australia over the past decade, includingneo-Nazi groups such as theNational Socialist Network.[10][11] In January 2024, the federal government bannedNazi salutes and displaying Nazi symbols such as theswastika. In February 2025, the laws were changed to mandatory minimum jail sentences.[12][13][14][15] In November 2025, there was a neo-Nazi rally outside NSW parliament.[14]
Mass casualty terrorism is rare in Australia, whosegun laws include restrictions on automatic, semi-automatic and pump action rifles, as well as shotguns, which were introduced after 35 people were killed in the 1996Port Arthur massacre.[19][20][21][22] Despite this, the number of firearms in Australia, and the number of people licensed to own them, has increased, and hit "a record high" before the shootings.[23][24] InNew South Wales, where the Bondi Beach shooting took place, there were 260,000 gun licences in 2025, up from 181,000 in 2001.[24]
In August 2024, theAustralian Security Intelligence Organisation raised Australia's national terrorism threat level from "possible" to "probable", citing the risk of community tensions and political violence related to theGaza war as one of the reasons for doingso.[29]
From 2012 until 2019 over 200Australians migrated to the self-described "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)[b] while the movementcontrolled territory in that region.[30][10] This included women and children.[30] Some of the most infamous fighters were Australians, such asKhaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar.[10] Sharrouf posed with the head of a decapitated Syrian soldier in ISIS propaganda.[31] Australians also carried outsuicide bombings for Islamic State, includingJake Bilardi, a Melbourne teenager from an atheist family.[30]
After they lost control of the territory in Iraq and Syria, ISIS changed strategy, to focus on inciting lone wolf attacks.[32]The style of the attack resembles other Islamic State attacks on Jewish and Christian targets.[how?][33]However, Islamic State has not previously focused on the Palestine conflict with Israel.[34][35]
Police allege that Sajid and Naveed Akram, a father and his son, threw threepipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb into the crowd from a footbridge arching over the carpark to the north of the Bondi Pavilion, all of which failed to detonate. After throwing the bombs, they began shooting into the crowd.[36] Initial videos of the attack showed two men dressed in black tops firing on the crowd from the footbridge,[37][38] reportedly with astraight pull bolt action rifle and a shotgun.[39][40] Emergency services were first called to the scene at 18:47(AEDT,UTC+11).[41][9]New South Wales Police released a statement at 18:57 confirming their response to an ongoing incident.[42]
The gunmen park their car (a silver 2001Hyundai Elantra) on Campbell Parade near a footbridge. They are confronted by a couple, who are subsequently killed.
The older gunman walks off the footbridge towards the park. A bystander disarms him. The older gunman walks back to the footbridge and picks up another rifle.
The younger gunman paused and appeared to wave away bystanders approaching him from directions other than that of the Hanukkah celebration, before resuming fire at the Jewish gathering.[49]
A bystander began capturing a nearly continuous 11-minute video shortly after the gunmen opened fire, filming the attackers from the street side of the footbridge approximately 50 metres (160 ft) away. The video captured the final moments of the shooting including the first police officer stepping onto the footbridge to apprehend the gunmen, as well as the treating of wounded people.[9]
Several police officers used their pistols to shoot at the gunmen from both sides of the footbridge.[50][51] A detective, using a tree as cover approximately 40 metres (130 ft) away, fired on the gunmen from behind, killing Sajid with a fatal shot to the head.[52][53] The detective, and also a female officer, are believed to have shot at Naveed and both wounded him in the stomach.[54][better source needed] A bystander went onto the bridge and kicked away a weapon from one of the gunmen; continued fire forced him to duck, and the bystander was briefly mistaken for an attacker by other bystanders.[55] The attack had lasted for six minutes from 18:42 to 18:48.[56]
According toThe Guardian, the first thing police did when they reached the footbridge was giveCPR to Naveed.[57] The wounded Naveed was apprehended by police and rushed to hospital in critical condition.[37][58][59] The gunmen had fired about 83 rounds, with approximately 20 additional rounds fired by police.[45]
More than 123ambulance personnel attended the scene.[60]
Numerous acts of intervention by civilians were exhibited during the attack.Prior to the start of the attack, Boris and Sofia Gurman, aRussian-Jewish Australian couple, noticed anIslamic State flag displayed on a parked vehicle. Sajid exited the vehicle, at which point the Gurmans struggled with him, seizing his gun. Sajid then retrieved another rifle and shot them both dead.[61][62]
During the attack itself, Ahmed al-Ahmed, an unarmed 43-year-oldSyrian Australian Muslim and father of two[63] born inAl-Nayrab, Syria, disarmed Sajid. Al-Ahmed approached him by crouching between two parked cars.[64][65][66] He approached the gunman from behind, seized the weapon, and turned it toward Sajid before propping the weapon against a tree.[65][67][68] Sajid then retreated to the bridge, where one of the gunmen shot and wounded al-Ahmed twice.[69]
After reaching a safe place, Gefen Bitton ran back toward the gunfire after seeing al-Ahmed confront Sajid. While doing this, he was shot several times and was critically injured.[70]
Reuven Morrison charged Sajid as he retreated, throwing a brick and attempting to disrupt the attack. A gunman shot and killed him.[61][71]
In addition to those who directly confronted the gunmen, off-duty volunteer lifesavers fromBondi Surf Lifesaving Club and North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club, immediately adjacent toArcher Park, rushed to the aid of victims under fire at the risk to their own lives. They were on the (unsecured) scene before ambulance crews arrived. They used surfboards as stretchers and depleted the club's stock of bandages, as well as giving approximately 250 people shelter inside the club, including a heavily pregnant woman who went into labour during the attack.[72] There was also one water rescue.[73][74]
New South Wales Opposition LeaderKellie Sloane was among those present who helped surf lifesavers giving first aid to victims.[75]
A 2018 aerial view of Bondi Beach proper;Archer Park is in the centre, with the footbridge over the car park to its north. The curving road is Campbell Parade.
The gunmen mostly fired from this footbridge (2019 photo). The view is from the northwest; Archer Park is in the background.
Sixteen people were killed in the attack (including gunman Sajid Akram, who was killed at the scene by police), with fourteen having died at the scene and two in a hospital.[76][77][30] Forty people were injured and taken to a hospital, including the other alleged gunman, Naveed Akram, with five people in critical condition.[77][60] As of 9 January 2026[update], five people remained in hospital in Sydney.[78]
Liverpool Hospital changed the name of victim Rosalia Shikhverg to "Karen Jones" in their records while she was a patient there. The reason given was to protect Shikhverg's privacy, however, Shikhverg believed it was to deceive hospital staff treating her.[79][80]
On the night of the attack, the NSW police commissionerMal Lanyon declared the attack a terrorist incident,[58][85] Australian intelligence officials said one of the offenders was known to them.[85] After the shooting, police located a large box-likehomemade bomb in the boot of the suspects' vehicle.[86][87][88] The investigation was named Operation Arques.[89][90] Following the incident,Operation Shelter, a NSW Police operation aimed at preventing antisemitic and other hate-related attacks, was expanded, with additional personnel, resources, and operational support deployed to boost surveillance and increase police presence across Sydney.[91][92]
On the day of the attack, police raided a property inBonnyrigg where the gunmen had lived. Three people were taken into custody, but released without charge shortly thereafter.[93]
Police raided anAirbnb house inCampsie where the suspects were believed to have been staying prior to the attack.[94]The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the pair had told family members they were going on a fishing trip toJervis Bay.[94]
On 22 December, further details of the attack were later released following the lifting of a courtsuppression order, that four homemade bombs had been thrown into the crowd but had failed to detonate.[100][36] Also released, were screenshots from a video located on Naveed's phone, that show him and Sajid allegedly conducting firearms training in October 2025 in a rural location. Another video, also located on Naveed's phone filmed in October, allegedly shows him and Sajid sitting in front of an image of an IS flag in which the two make statements "condemning the acts of 'Zionists'".[101][102]
On 30 December, Barrett said that "There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell or were directed by others to carry out an attack".[103]
Sajid's family inHyderabad were questioned by Indian authorities.[104]
Naveed and Sajid Akram outside their Campsie rental house at about 2 a.m. on 14 December
According to New South Wales police commissionerMal Lanyon, the alleged shooters were a father and son duo; 50-year-old Sajid Akram (c. 1975 – 14 December 2025), and 24-year-old Naveed Akram (born 12 August 2001).[94][105] Sajid was a fruit shop owner, and Naveed was an unemployed bricklayer.[106]ANU radicalisation expert Clarke Jones said it is unusual for a father and son to attack together: "families are the protective factors, the ones who minimise the chances of a young person going out and doing crazy stuff". However, Levi West, an ANU expert in countering violent extremism, said "If the two are on board, they are driving each other".[107]
Sajid was shot and killed by police at the scene of the attack.[108]
TheTelangana Police reported that Sajid was an Indian national born into a family fromTolichowki, Hyderabad, who was a former student at Anwar-ul College inNampally and had emigrated to Australia on 8 November 1998 on astudent visa after completing a business degree in Hyderabad and marrying a woman in Australia.[109][110][111] Telangana Police also reported that Sajid had no "adverse record" prior to his emigration, and that his family in India appeared to be unaware of his "radical mindset or activities".[112] According toAustralian Home Affairs ministerTony Burke, he transferred to apartner visa in 2001 and later obtained a resident return visa because he was anAustralian permanent resident.[113]
In 2001, Sajid's son Naveed was born in Australia,[114] and is a citizen due to his mother's citizenship and his father's permanent residence.[105]
TheAustralian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-GeneralMike Burgess has publicly stated that Naveed was "known" to ASIO in 2019.[115] According to theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) this was in association with a July 2019 investigation into Islamic State Sydney cell leaderIsaac El Matari.[115] Naveed followed radical Islamic preacher William Haddad (known as "Wissam Haddad" and "Abu Ousayd"),[116] who was found to have violated Australia's racial hatred laws in July 2025.[117][118][119] Multiple men linked to Haddad have been convicted of terrorism-related offences, but none had carried out attacks.[120] Naveed was investigated in relation to these connections and authorities concluded he was not a high-risk member of the network.[121][122] In response to aFour Corners investigation in 2026,ASIO defended their 2019 investigation and criticised a former undercover agent the ABC used as a source.[123]
After being shot at the scene, Naveed was hospitalised in critical condition and woke from acoma two days later on 17 December.[124] He is being held on remand inGoulburn Supermax, having been charged with 59 offences, including 15 murders.[125]
Sajid had afirearms licence, was the registered owner of six guns, and was a member of a shooting club, Zastava Hunting Association.[40][126][127]Naveed had trained at the same shooting club.[128][127]The Serbian Times said the Naveed had a membership card, but quoted the Zastava club president as saying "we haven't seen him for five years".[129]
Three firearms were used during the attack, and a fourth was located at the scene.[126][130] The firearms used during the attack are believed to be aBeretta BRX1.308straight-pull rifle and twoStoeger M3000 M3K12-gauge straight-pull shotguns.[130][131] These weapons were imported to Australia to bypass restrictions onpump actions, as they are capable of a rate of fire which is not greatly inferior to the banned weapons.[132]
Naveed had been known to intelligence officials since 2019 but was deemed "not an immediate threat".[105] The Akrams were inspired by Islamic State ideology, and appear to fit the profile of "lone wolf" attackers,[133][16] Such "lone wolf" attacks increased after Islamic State lost territory in Iraq and Syria in 2019,[134] and had been sanctioned by them since 2014.[135] Police said both gunmen had pledged allegiance to IS,[105][136][137] and twoIS flags were found in their car.[10][138][139] According to police reports, documents prove the gunmen planned the attack monthsahead.[140]
Australian counterterrorism officials are looking into a trip the two suspects made to the Philippines a month before the attack, to see whether they received military training there.[141][142] According to Filipino officials, the men travelled toManila on 1 November, Sajid Akram on an Indian passport and Naveed Akram on an Australian one, and then headed toDavao City, on the island ofMindanao, where anIS insurgency is ongoing.[143] According to local police and staff, they spent their entire 28-day stay in Davao City, rarely leaving their hotel room and then for only an hour or so at a time, and receiving no visitors, before departing on 28 November.[144][145] According to hotel staff, they had initially booked a 7-day stay, but repeatedly extended it.[144]
According to thePhilippine National Police, the pair rarely left the hotel during their visit, and there is no evidence that they undertook training for their attacks.[146]In the Philippines, the country'sNational Bureau of Investigation,Bureau of Immigration and theArmed Forces of the Philippines are investigating the claim that the shooting suspects went to Mindanao prior to the attack.[147] TheOffice of the President strongly rejected the characterization of the Philippines as an "ISIS training ground".[148] TheMindanao Development Authority (MinDA) called characterization of Mindanao as a "terror hotspot" in light of the Bondi Beach shooting as "misleading" and "unfair" and used the results of the 3rd quarter 2025 Mindanao Safety and Security Perception to refute it. In the opinion poll conducted by MinDA, respondents yielded a 88.51% in safety perception.[149] The country'sDepartment of Foreign Affairs welcomed Australian authorities statement on 30 December that there is no evidence the suspects were part of a terrorist cell or trained in the Philippines.[150]
The inquest findings for the April 2024Bondi Junction stabbings were due days after the shooting, but the delivery of the findings was delayed out of respect for the Bondi victims.[154]
Following the shooting, theQueensland Police Service increased their security presence at Jewish places of worship.[156] Across Australia and New Zealand, Jewish events were cancelled due to the security risks from terror threats, after already having had to cancel many public events in recent years due to the high risk of attacks.[157][158][156] In other areas of Sydney, Jewish synagogues, schools, and similar sites were closed on 15 December.[159]
The Bondi shooting exacerbated older ethnic and religious tensions in the community. In the immediate aftermath of the attack there was a threat of escalating violence with incitement circulated online focused onCronulla, a beach near Bondi that was the epicentre of a previous anti-Arab and anti-Muslimrace riot in 2005.[161] In response to this, public assemblies were prohibited across the entire Sydney metro area for 14 days.[162]The targets of the calls for violent retaliation were the "Middle Eastern" and broader locally-described "wog" ethnic groups, referring toLebanese Australians and other Eastern Mediterranean ethnic groups, the target of the previous mob violence.[163][164][165] The previous race riots, 20 years earlier, were triggered by local violent crimes committed by individual Lebanese Australian men in Sydney, in the context of tensions already heightened by terrorist attacks inBali in 2002 targeting Australian tourists, and theSeptember 11 attacks in 2001.[166][167]A 20-year-old man appeared in court on charges of "using a carriage service to menace, harass, offend, and publicly threaten violence on grounds of race or religion", for attempting to incite retaliatory mob violence in response to the Bondi shooting.[168][169][170] The article headline in theThe Tenterfield Star called him a "Muslim hater".[170] He was denied bail.[168]
A man in Perth was arrested on 23 December 2025 for expressing support for the attack. Police in Perth discovered six rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and Hezbollah and Hamas flags in the man's home.[171][172]
A police employee in Queensland was charged on 5 January 2026 with antisemitic online posts and comments related to the Bondi shooting.[173]
Two weeks after the attack, theAustralian National Imams Council reported an almost tripling in hostile acts towardsAustralian Muslims and Islamic institutions, including vandalism,online abuse, and physical intimidation, in particulartowards women wearinghijabs.[174][175] Some groups started taking security measures, such as members sleeping in mosques overnight to protect the buildings against vandalism.[176]
Albanese vowed to advocate forstricter gun laws following the attack.[105] On the day following the shooting, theNational Cabinet, which consists of the leaders of Australia'sstate and territory governments and the prime minister, unanimously agreed to strengthen gun laws. Proposals brought forward during the meeting included restricting firearm ownership to Australian citizens only, accelerating the launch of a national firearms register, limiting the number of firearms a single person can own, and further restricting the types of legal weapons.[19][177] The NSW Parliament wasrecalled to debate the state's proposed reforms before Christmas.[178] On 19 December, Albanese announced that the federal government will establish agun buyback program, which will require the state and territory governments to agree to ambitious new gun law reforms.[179][180] The Albanese government intends to introduce legislation into parliament to fund the buyback scheme, under a 50:50 cost-sharing arrangement betweenAustralia's federal government and itsstate and territory governments.[181]
On 18 December, theAlbanese government responded to a report delivered to the government in July 2025 on antisemitism, by the government's special envoy to combat antisemitismJillian Segal, saying that they would take action on all the report's recommendations.[182][183] The same day, the Albanese government announced the strengthening ofhate speech laws.[182][184] TheMinister for Home Affairs would receive new powers to cancel or reject visas of hate preachers.[182][184] A taskforce to ensure that the education system counters antisemitism will be set up.[182][184] Special envoy Segal had previously supported lessons on antisemitism andthe Holocaust.[184]
On 24 December, theNSW government passed new legislation – the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025[185] – addressinghate speech, the display of offensive symbols and tightened gun controls.PremierChris Minns stated that the government will take stronger action against what it classifies as hate speech and confirmed plans to have the chant "globalise the intifada" officially designated as hate speech.[186]
The attack prompted discussions regarding Australia'simmigration framework and gun laws, with some officials questioning the pathways fromtemporary visas to permanent residency and the criteria for obtaining a firearms license as a non-citizen permanent resident.[187] On 12 January 2026, Albanese announced that the Australian Parliament would reconvene on 19 January to introduce fast-tracked hate speech and firearms legislation. The Prime Minister also confirmed that the federal government would seek cross-party support from theCoalition andAustralian Greens.[188]Sajid was born to aMuslim family in India, and had repeatedly failed to obtain Australian citizenship; he remained an Indian citizen.The Indian Express pointed out that Islamic State recruits who travelled to Iraq and Syria were far morecommon from Australia (over 200) than India (approximately 100), despite India's far larger population.[31]
In the days following the attack, the New South Wales government announced that it would hold a royal commission to investigate the actions of New South Wales authorities, including the police response, gun licensing issues and antisemitism.[189][190][191][192]
On 21 December, Albanese announced an Independent Commonwealth Review into Australia's federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to be led by retired public servantDennis Richardson that would deliver a public report on the attack to government by the end of April 2026.[193] On 29 December, the review's terms of reference werereleased.[194] On 29 December, Albanese said that there were no plans for a federal royal commission, as it would give a platform to antisemitic view, and was not the best format for national security issues.[195]
On 8 January, Albanese announced a federalRoyal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion which will examine the circumstances surrounding the attack.[196] FormerHigh Court justiceVirginia Bell has been appointed the commissioner.[197][196] The Richardson review will become part of the commission and he will support its work, with delivery of an interim report by the commission in April.[196] The federal royal commission will replace the proposed state-based New South Wales royal commission.[198][192] The commissioner is required to deliver her report before the end of 2026.[196]
On 8 January, theLaw Council of Australia, prior to the release of the royal commission's terms of reference, suggested that the New Zealand's royal commission into the 2019Christchurch mosque shootings could provide a "blueprint" for a royal commission into the attack "to ensure a criminal case is not compromised."[199] On 9 January, the royal commission's terms of reference were released.[200]
At the thirdAshes test inAdelaide on 17 December, a three-minute silence was observed before the start of play, while both the Australian and English teams wore black armbands in memory of the victims of the shooting.[207] A second tribute was held at the opening of the fifth Ashes test in Sydney on 4 January 2026 to honour victims and first responders.[208]
On 21 December, a nationwideminute of silence was held in Australia as part of a national day of reflection[209] over the shooting.[210]
The 2025Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks event included a minute's silence at 11pm and the projection of a menorah onto the pylons. The original plan was for a dove with the word "Peace" but after criticism from the Jewish community, the decision was made to feature a Jewish-specific symbol.[211]
On 22 January 2026, Australia observed a national day of mourning.[212][213][214]
On the Jewish holiday ofTu BiShvat, in early February 2026, the Jewish community planted trees in honour of those killed in the attack.[215]
Two days after the attack, the prime minister visitedSyrian-born Ahmed al-Ahmed in hospital.[216] On 18 December, al-Ahmed received A$2.5 million in donations fromGoFundMe, with the largest donation coming from Jewish-American billionaireBill Ackman, who donated A$99,999.[217][218]
Led bySteve Kamper, theMinister for Multiculturalism, an emergency meeting of the New South Wales Faith Affairs Council was held on 19 December, at which the campaignOne Mitzvah for Bondi was established. Minns announced the project at a vigil at Bondi Beach on the eighth and final night of the holiday on 21 December. The effort encourages individuals to make the commitment to perform amitzvah, the Jewish principle of performing an act of kindness or charity, on behalf of a neighbour or of the community at large, citing the message of Hanukkah "that darkness cannot extinguish the light".[219][220]
Australian prime ministerAnthony Albanese described the shooting as "shocking and distressing" and called it "deliberately targeted at the Jewish community on the first day of Chanukah" and "an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism and terrorism on our shores".[85][58][18][60] He later said that more could have been done to prevent the attack, and that he accepts his share of responsibility as the prime minister.[184] The minister for home affairs,Tony Burke, called the shooting an "appalling act of violence".[221] The Premier of New South Wales,Chris Minns, said "the reports and images coming out of Bondi tonight are deeply distressing" and encouraged people to follow the directions of police.[58]
Australian opposition leaderSussan Ley delayed the release of theCoalition's new migration policy, citing concerns about fraying social cohesion and the risk that a fresh debate on migration levels would be inflammatory during "an extremely sensitive time".[222] Instead of pursuing the migration debate, Ley shifted the Coalition's focus tonational security andcounterterrorism, calling for the immediate formation of anantisemitism and counter-terrorism taskforce.[222] Ley caused controversy and confusion by stating that the Royal Commission "must include reference to radical Islamic extremism, as well as far-left (pause) neo-Nazi extremism". When asked if she meant that Nazis were left wing, she said, "Far left and neo-Nazi extremism were the words that I used. Yes."[223]
Various Australian Jewish organisations had differing responses.[224] TheExecutive Council of Australian Jewry issued a statement saying: "The time for talking is over. We need decisive leadership and action now to eradicate the scourge of antisemitism from Australia's public life, for which the Jewish community has long been advocating... The shooting attack targeted the Jewish community but it took place at Bondi Beach, the people's beach, on what should have been a carefree summer's day. It was an attack on all Australians, our freedoms and our way of life."[225] The CEO of the conservativeAustralian Jewish Association, Robert Gregory, said: "This is an attack on the Jewish community that deeply pains us as a community".[226][227] The president of theZionist Federation of Australia,Jeremy Leibler, said: "An attack on Jews celebrating their faith is an attack on Australia itself. It is an assault on our values, our social cohesion, and the basic right of people to gather withoutfear."[228]
Other organisations issuing statements included the Jewish Communal Appeal, Chabad NSW, Jewish National Fund Australia, Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, Sydney Jewish Museum, Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, Anti-Defamation Commission, and The Joint Australia.[229]
Co-founder and executive of the progressive non-Zionist groupJewish Council of Australia (JCA)Max Kaiser called remarks by special envoyJillian Segal "highly irresponsible", for a statement suggesting that the attack was a logical consequence of pro-Palestinian protests since October 2023.[230][224] The JCA later published an online petition calling upon the prime minister and all Australian leaders to oppose division hindering the fight against antisemitism.[231]
The vast majority ofMuslims in Australia and worldwide reject the Islamic State.[232]TheAustralian National Imams Council also condemned the shooting, saying: "This is a moment for all Australians, including theAustralian Muslim community, to stand together in unity, compassion, and solidarity, rejecting violence in all its forms and affirming our shared commitment to social harmony and the safety of all Australians".[221] They issued a statement saying the council stood in solidarity with the Australian Jewish community and "unequivocally condemns ISIS as an evil, dangerous terrorist organisation whose actions and ideology stand in complete opposition to the teachings of Islam and the values upheld by Muslims worldwide".[233] Muslim leaders in Sydney refused toperform funeral rites or receive the deceased gunman's body, condemning the shooting as a "barbaric, criminal, and terroristact".[234][235] TheAustralia Palestine Advocacy Network condemned the attack and said "perpetrators of this horrendous attack do not represent our movement or the values we uphold".[236]
International leaders spoke in support of Ahmed al-Ahmed, the bystander whointervened to disarm one of the attackers, praising his bravery. These leaders included Netanyahu, who referred to him as a "brave Muslim, and I salute him"[237][238] and Trump who said that he was "a very, very brave person" who "saved a lot of lives".[239][240] King Charles' 2025Christmas message alluded to the actions of al-Ahmed and others who intervened, describing "the ways in which individuals and communities display spontaneous bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm's way to defend others" as a short clip of floral tributes at Bondi was displayed.[241]
Eva Corlett,The Guardian's correspondent from Wellington New Zealand, wrote that many global headlines covering the shooting centred on the intervention from bystander al-Ahmed.[242]Jonathan Sacerdoti wrote inThe Jewish Chronicle that British news media emphasised the heroism of al-Ahmed while editorially sidelining the fact that Jews were killed in an act of antisemitic terror.[243]
On 18 December, Islamic State media called the attack a "source of pride" on itsTelegram channel.Reuters and several other media sources in English described the announcement as not claiming responsibility.[244][245][246]According toSITE Intelligence, IS has been using the attack as propaganda.[247] Islamic State also dedicated the entire full page editorial to the attack in the 18 December 2025 issue ofAl-Naba, their Arabic-language propaganda magazine.[248][249]Lebanese news quoted theal-Naba editorial as saying, "The Islamic State's official speeches and writings have consistently incited attacks against Jews and Christians during their holidays and gatherings," and the attackers "answered the call and carried out the recommendations to target holidays and gatherings".[250]
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the attack on Sunday 14 December Israeli time (MondayAEDT).[251] Netanyahu delivered a speech from a government meeting atDimona.[237][252] Netanyahu attacked prime minister Albanese and called antisemitism a "cancer".[253] In whatThe Times of Israel called "an oblique attack on the Australian government" Netanyahu said, "...We will continue to demand from them to do what is demanded of leaders of free nations. We will not give up, we will not bow our heads, we will continue to fight as our ancestors did".[254][251]
Soon after the attack, pro-Israel outlets pointed out that Israel had warned Australia about possible attacks from theIslamic Republic ofIran.[255]The following day, theAustralian Financial Review said Mossad was "helping"ASIO, despite the previous misdirection.[256]
Writing inHaaretz, Dana Segall said that progressive reactions to the attack failed to acknowledge and emphasise its antisemitic nature, "dilut[ing] Jewish victimhood into a vague slurry of 'violence,' 'tragedy,' and 'shared humanity'."[257]
On 9 February 2026,Israeli presidentIsaac Herzog began an official visit to Australia, arriving in Sydney and laying of a wreath at the Bondi Beach memorial site, where he also met survivors and victims' families.[258][259][260]
United Nations CommissionerChris Sidoti said the visit should not have happened because Herzog is personally guilty of incitement to genocide, relating to thegenocide in Gaza.[267][268]There were calls for Herzog to be arrested, and discussion about whether this was possible.[269][270]The visit drew attention to other past actions of Herzog, such as signing bombs that were later dropped in Gaza.[261][271][272][273][274]
Herzog's visit was met with several protests, including pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza and opposing Herzog’s presence.[275][276] Police usedpepper spray on protesters and journalists in Sydney.[277][278][279]
More than 100 Muslim organisations condemned the actions of NSW Police using disproportionate force against the group of Australian Muslims who were praying near the rally.[280]Aftab Malik, Australia’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia, demanded an apology from NSW police for using “excessive and unprovoked” force against a group of Muslim men who conducted impromptu prayers during a protest in Sydney which, according to Minns, was in "the middle of a riot".[281][282][283] The independentLaw Enforcement Conduct Commission will investigate the conduct of police at the rally.[284]
Press statements were made by the New Zealand prime minister,Christopher Luxon,[286] and armed police in New Zealand were deployed on 15 December to guard Jewish sites across the country, including the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand andKadimah School.[287]
In times of hurt, Australians always rally together in unity and resolve. I know that the spirit of community and love that shines so brightly in Australia... will always triumph over the darkness of such evil.
In the United Kingdom, authorities cited the Bondi Beach attack as a factor in increasing enforcement against potentially violent protest behavior, alongside theManchester synagogue attack that took place on the Jewish holiday ofYom Kippur on 2 October 2025. On 17 December 2025, police forces inLondon andGreater Manchester announced that individuals chanting "globalise the intifada" at protests would be arrested, describing the action as necessary because "violent acts have taken place, the context has changed, words have meaning and consequence."[291][292]
According toThe Jerusalem Post, a U.S. official toldFox News that the United States would support Israeli strikes on Iran, if the Bondi attack was ordered by Iran.[295]
Jfeed.com reported that (United States citizen)Mosab Hassan Yousef, a former militant and the son of one of the cofounders of militant organisationHamas, described the shooting as "the inevitable result of years of global indoctrination and demonization of Jews".[296]
The attack was condemned by many other nations:[2][297]
French presidentEmmanuel Macron expressed "deep sadness" at the death of a French citizen.[298][299]
Indian prime ministerNarendra Modi condemned the attack, adding that "India has zero tolerancetowards terrorism and supports the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism".[300]
TheIranian Foreign Ministry issued a condemnation of the shooting, with spokesmanEsmaeil Baghaei writing onX that "Terror and killing of human beings, wherever committed, is rejected and condemned".[301] He also said "We condemn the violent attack in Sydney, Australia. Terror violence and mass killing shall be condemned, wherever they're committed".[302]
Pakistan's prime minister and president condemned the attack.Arab News Pakistan reported that "Pakistan says it stands in solidarity with Australia", and Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif condemned "terrorism in all its forms and manifestations". PresidentAsif Ali Zardari said "Pakistan itself a victim of terrorism, stands in solidarity with and condemns violence against innocent civilians". Both men expressed condolences to the victims.[304]
ThePalestinian Authority[e] said it condemned the attack and that it rejected "all forms of extremism and terrorism, including the killing of civilians".[305]
Qatar'sForeign Ministry said the nation rejects "violence, terrorism and criminal acts regardless of their motives or causes".[303]
TheSaudi foreign ministry issued a statement saying, "The Kingdom affirms its stance against all forms of violence, terrorism, and extremism" and offering "sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Australia".[306][303]
TheTurkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing condolences for the families of victims and saying, "Türkiye reiterates its principled stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations".[307][308]TRT World reported, "The ministry stressed that Türkiye stands in solidarity with Australia".[307]
The United Arab Emirates'Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country "strongly condemns such criminal acts" and rejects "all forms of violence and terrorism".[303]
According to Saudi-backed UK-based news agencyIran International, Iranian or Iran-affiliatedTasnim News Agency andSabereen News[f] appeared to have praised the killings.[309][additional citation(s) needed] Iran international also pointed out that "The son of Iran's ex-ambassador to Australia" had posted about Hanukkah onX on 15 December 2015, even though his post made no mention of the attack.[309]Afghanistan International criticized the Taliban for allegedly failing to condemn the ISIS attack, but noted that the rest of the Islamic world had, highlighting that officials in Iran, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates voiced strong disapproval of the attack.[310][additional citation(s) needed]
In an interview withChannel 4 News UK, former Australian prime ministerMalcolm Turnbull criticised Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attributing the attack to Australian recognition of the State of Palestine, pointing out that the vast majority of nations recognise the state, and told "Bibi Netanyahu" to "stay out of our politics".[317][318] Turnbull's remarks to Channel 4 UK were repeated in multiple other news sources.[319][320][321]
Islamic State (Daesh)state media criticised the false flag claims in theirAl-Naba newspaper.[249]
Iranian officials condemned the attack. Iran'sMehr News Agency called the attack a "false flag" and blamed Israel for it.IRGC military officerMohammad Reza Naqdi andIranian Armed Forces chiefAbdolrahim Mousavi were also quoted making false flag accusations.[309][322]False flag conspiracy theories had broadly become more common over the past five years.[323]The Israeli false flag rumours were also circulating on social media.[324]
Bondi: A Timeline of Terror –Sky News Australia announced that it will release its documentary of the event on 24 February 2026.[326]
Four Corners produced a two-part special on the attack. Part 1,Bondi: Light Over Darkness, aired on 2 February 2026.[327] Part 2,Bondi: Path to Terror, was aired on 9 February, and investigated the secret lives of the terrorists, uncovering new information about the years leading up to the attack.[328] The report was criticised by theAustralian Security Intelligence Organisation for focusing on a former ASIO informant as a source. The ABC stood by the report.[123]
Following the attack, various pieces ofmisinformation were shared online. A website impersonatingThe Daily Aus, registered the same day as the shooting, launched an article purposely mislabelling bystander Ahmed al-Ahmed.[329][330][331][332]
There were rumours on social media blaming Lebanese people and other Arabs, or claiming the shooters were Pakistani.[333]
Jordanianfact checking websiteMisbar reported that a fabricated statement was circulating on social media. The social media posts contained a fabricated quote "welcoming" the attack, claiming it was from a statement issued by Hamas. Some posts contained the additional false claim that it was translated by Al Jazeera. Misbar found that no genuine statements issued by Hamas referred to the attack.[339]
A Pakistani man living in Australia was harassed and threatened online due to having an identical name to one of the attackers.[342] Pakistani officials accused "hostile countries", in particular India, of spreading false claims that one of the two attackers was a Pakistani national, and further accused him of being from India.[343]
Such claims, alongside others, were spread byxAI's chatbot,Grok.[344][345][346]Al Jazeera noted social media posts from around the world claiming that Ahmed al-Ahmed, one of the bystanders who intervened, had a completely different name or that he was aLebanese Maronite Christian or a Jew. Al-Ahmed was later confirmed to be a Muslim, and a naturalised citizen of Australia who hademigrated from Syria.[68]
Various social media personalities and influencers circulated misinformation surrounding the attack. A false story was circulated that Australian Muslims launched fireworks to celebrate the attack.[347]
^There are multiple ways to transliterate the Hebrew name of the holiday; "Hanukkah" is currently the most common spelling by English-speakers, with "Chanukah" being a more traditional spelling. SeeHanukkah § Alternative spellings for more details.
^They are stillknown by the name ISIS, an abbreviation ofIslamic State in Iraq and Syria.
^Matilda's family have requested that her last name not be published.[81]
^Khalil 2025: "Terrorism and violent extremism threats in Australia diversified and grew more complicated and diffuse over the past decade. There is a growing and more organised neo-Nazi movement galvanised by the National Socialist Network that has not only motivated lone actor violence and plots but is seeking to mainstream their hateful ideology through a new political party and exploiting grievances among young men."
^Turnbull & Wong 2025: "This includes setting up a federal police taskforce to investigate antisemitic incidents, and an amendment to hate crime laws. Hate symbols, including performing a Nazi salute, and terror offences are now punishable with mandatory jail terms. NSW set up its own state-level task force because many of the recent incidents were in Sydney."
^abPearlman, Jonathan (16 December 2025)."Bondi shooting sparks 'lone wolf' fears, gun law review as Australia reels from worst terror attack".The Straits Times. Singapore.National security expert Greg Barton said the Bondi shooting was "the worst terrorist attack on Australian soil", while noting that more Australians died in the Bali bombing – an attack by Islamists in 2002 that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. The worst attack by an Australian was a 2019 attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, by a gunman who killed 51 people.
^Taylor, Chris (15 December 2025)."Bondi terror: we'll need a wide-ranging royal commission".www.aspistrategist.org.au The Strategist. Australia:Australian Strategic Policy Institute.Archived from the original on 29 December 2025.Yet thanks to effective counter-terrorism investigation and policing (including proactive threat disruption), geography and relative unavailability of firearms and explosives, Australia had been spared the scale of atrocities committed ... elsewhere. Until yesterday evening.
^"Everything we know about the Bondi shooters".ABC listen: ABC News Daily.ABC News. 16 December 2025.(Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop, ABC investigative reporter) You might remember there was an attack last year in which a Sydney bishop was stabbed in Wakeley in a live streamed church service by a teenage boy.
^abRoy 2025: "In 2015, during the heyday of the Islamic state, the then Australian Attorney General George Brandis met top officials in India including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The key worry for Brandis was the rise of the Islamic State and how Australians were being recruited into the terrorist group. As senior Cabinet Minister, Senator Brandis was the leader of the Australian government in the Senate and was responsible for national security and law enforcement. A senior Indian official, who attended those meetings in 2015, told The Indian Express: “Brandis was keen to know how India, despite having a large Muslim population, did not have so many youth joining the ISIS — either by travelling to Syria or Iraq or were causing attacks at home in Australia”. The official Indian response, at the time, was that the Indian Muslims do not identify themselves with those in West Asia. Indians accounted for about 100 ISIS fighters, as compared to 200 Australians who joined ISIS."
^Roy 2025: "In September 2014, the Islamic State released a directive to supporters around the world, sanctioning unilateral terrorist attacks against Australia and other western nations “wherever, whenever and however” they could, without instruction or permission from its leadership."
^Baker, McGowan & Bachelard 2025: "Until recently, IS has been vague on the issue of Palestine. Historically, it has concentrated on Syria, Iraq and terror attacks on Westerners."
^זוהו עוד שני הרוגים בפיגוע בסידני: דן אלקיים ואלכס קלייטמן הי״ד - בחדרי חרדים.www.bhol.co.il (in Hebrew). 14 December 2025. Archived fromthe original on 11 February 2026.הנרצח הראשון שזוהה בפיגוע הוא שליח חב"ד בסידני אלי שלנגר הי"ד, אזרח ישראלי-אוסטרלי. [The first person killed in the attack was identified as the Chabad emissary in Sydney, Eli Schlenger, an Israeli-Australian citizen.]
^Baker, McGowan & Bachelard 2025: "Sydney Morning Herald: "Akram was born in India, studied commerce at university there, and moved to Australia in 1998 on a student visa. Indian news outlets have quoted Akram’s brother saying his family cut ties with him after he married Venera Grosso, a woman of Italian descent living in Australia, and that he’d repeatedly tried, and failed, to get Australian citizenship."
^abBarton, Greg (15 December 2025)."Bondi Shooting: Could Australia's Worst Terrorist Attack on Home Soil Have Been Prevented?".The Diplomat (magazine). Archived fromthe original on 4 January 2026.The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess has said one of the alleged gunmen was "known" to ASIO, though he did not specify which one. Being "known" to authorities can simply mean someone has been associated with networks and communications that have caused concern to authorities. The ABC has reported that Naveed Akram came to the attention of authorities after the arrest of Islamic State Sydney cell leaderIsaac El Matari in July 2019.
^Roy 2025: "In September 2014, the Islamic State released a directive to supporters around the world, sanctioning unilateral terrorist attacks against Australia and other western nations “wherever, whenever and however” they could, without instruction or permission from its leadership."
^Tweet sharing the image:"Tweet by Mr Pål Christiansen @TheNorskaPaul".X. 24 December 2025.Archived from the original on 30 December 2025.NSW Police on Monday confirmed the force was aware of a planned 'bashing day' on Cronulla Beach... A flyer advertising the event has been widely shared across Snap, FB & TikTok... However, that call could be easily ignored when even former legendary PM Tony Abbott directly narrowed the blame to one minority in media interviews.👌🇦🇺
^"National Cabinet".Parliamentary Education Office. Commonwealth of Australia.Archived from the original on 15 December 2025. Retrieved19 January 2026.
^"National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack".www.pmc.gov.au. 19 January 2025. Retrieved4 February 2026.Fifteen suggested Mitzvah for the 15 people lost in the Bondi attack … Prayer for healing – say a prayer for the complete physical and spiritual recovery for the victims of the Bondi massacre.
^"One Mitzvah for Bondi".New South Wales Government. 18 December 2025.Archived from the original on 1 January 2026. Retrieved5 January 2026.We are calling on people of all faiths and all communities across NSW, to come together in the wake of the terrorist attack at Bondi on Sunday, 14 December 2025, and help unite our state.
^"Pressure increases on PM to establish post-Bondi Royal Commission".SBS News. 7 January 2026.Archived from the original on 7 January 2026. Retrieved10 January 2026.Ms Ley says the Royal Commission must include what she calls a "reckoning" with extremist ideology. "Secondly, there must be a reckoning with antisemitism and extremist ideology. The terms of reference must properly address the systemic rise of antisemitism in Australia, and they must include reference to radical Islamic extremism, as well as far-left, neo-Nazi extremism. Victims' families have been very clear about this. Antisemitism can't be re-scoped or redefined". When questioned on whether she was conflating far-left and neo-Nazi movements, Ms Ley clarified her phrasing. "Far left and neo-Nazi extremism were the words that I used. Yes." Audio is also available from:"Pressure increases on PM to establish post-Bondi Royal Commission (audio of speech)".SBS News – viaApple Podcasts.
^Eichner 2025: ""We saw the action of a brave person, and it turns out it was a brave Muslim, and I salute him for stopping one of the terrorists from killing innocent Jews," he said."
^"ISIS Praises Bondi Beach Shooting as 'Source of Pride' Without Claiming Responsibility".Haaretz. 18 December 2025.Archived from the original on 19 December 2025. Retrieved19 December 2025.The Islamic State praised Sunday's Bondi Beach Hanukkah festival shooting in Australia as a "source of pride" in a newsletter posted to its Telegram channel on Thursday, but stopped short of claiming responsibility... "...the zealots answered the call and carried out the recommendations to target religious festivals and gatherings" ...The militant group has also incited refugees in Belgium to carry out attacks on Jews and Christians there during the holiday season.
^Ingram, Haroro J.; Ingram, Kiriloi M. (24 December 2025)."The Bondi Attack, the Islamic State, and the Price of Strategic Shortsightedness".The Diplomat. Archived fromthe original on 24 December 2025.Then, on 18 December, the editorial in issue 526 of Islamic State'sAl-Naba magazine praised the father-son duo as the "Pride of Sydney" while mocking counterterrorism efforts that "look for a structure to pursue… a cell to arrest… a camp or a guesthouse to bomb". Reflecting the group's transition from a proto-state, the editorial claims that the group's incitement of supporters to engage in lone actor attacks is "an effective strategy that does not require many jihad resources and overcomes many obstacles, and moreover, plunges enemies into an endless cycle of attrition". The editorial presents lone attackers as fighters behind enemy lines and thus crucial to the Islamic State's global insurgency. The article, however, refrains from explicitly claiming responsibility for the Bondi attack, instead emphasizing that adopting the "Prophetic method" to carry out lone actor attacks is more important than a formal connection to the group...
^abمفخرة سيدني [Sydney's Pride].صحيفة النبأAl-Naba (in Arabic). No. 526.Daesh state media andTelegram channel. 18 December 2025. p. 3 – viaThe Diplomat (magazine),Haaretz,Reuters, and others. – Citation inArabic:صحيفة النبأ العدد 526 - الخميس، 18 ديسمبر 2025 – مفخرة سيدني,lit.'Al-Nabaa Newspaper, Issue No. 526 – Thursday, 18 December 2025 – Sydney's Pride' (newspaper editorial)
^abHohne, Josh; Shanahan, Maxim (14 December 2025)."Bondi Beach shooting: 12 killed, 29 injured in Bondi shooting".Australian Financial Review.Netanyahu cited his letter to Albanese in August, when he urged Albanese against recognising Palestinian statehood, "Three months ago I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism"...
^Eichner 2025: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retracted his statement during the government meeting in Dimona, after claiming that a Jew neutralized one of the terrorists in the attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney."
^Eichner 2025: "Netanyahu attacked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, claiming that "your government has done nothing to prevent the spread of antisemitism in Australia, you have done nothing to cut off the cancer cells that have grown in your country"."
^جهان اسلام، به جز طالبان، حمله به یهودیان را محکوم کرد [The Islamic world, except the Taliban, condemned the attack on Jews].www.afintl.com (in Persian).Afghanistan International. 15 December 2025.موساد حدود یک ماه پیش به نهادهای اطلاعاتی استرالیا درباره «زیرساخت تروریستی» مورد حمایت جمهوری اسلامی در این کشور که قصد حمله به اهداف یهودی را داشت، هشدار داده بود. کانال ۱۲ اسرائیل افزود موساد پیشتر اعلام کرده بود شبکهای فراملی وابسته به نیروی قدس سپاه پاسداران پشت حملات به مراکز یهودی در کشورهای غربی، از جمله استرالیا، قرار دارد. [Mossad had warned Australian intelligence agencies about a month ago about a "terrorist infrastructure" supported by the Islamic Republic in the country that was planning to attack Jewish targets.Israel's Channel 12 added that Mossad had previously stated that a transnational network affiliated with theIRGC's Quds Force was behind attacks on Jewish centers in Western countries, including Australia.]
^Doherty, Ben (6 February 2026)."Legal groups push for Australian federal police to arrest retired general travelling with Israeli president".The Guardian.But members of his own party have said they are "very uncomfortable" about the invitation. The former Labor minister Ed Husic said: "It's really hard for me to reconcile the vision of him [Herzog] signing bombs that went on to be dropped on Palestinian homes … with the notion of social cohesion. So from that perspective, I've obviously got deep concerns." In late 2023, Herzog was pictured signing an Israeli artillery shell being prepared to be fired into Gaza... In September last year, a UN commission of inquiry alleged Herzog incited genocide against Palestinians in Gaza by publicly declaring all Palestinians in Gaza were responsible for the Hamas attacks of October 2023, "It's an entire nation out there that is responsible..." he said.
^Kampmark, Binoy (15 January 2026)."The Cancellation of Randa Abdel-Fattah".Counterpunch. Archived fromthe original on 15 January 2026.If this decision (to exclude Randa Abdel-Fattah) was intended to reflect balance, intellectual awareness and understanding about the shootings, it failed on all counts. It ignored the fact that the two shooters had been allegedly inspired by Islamic State (ISIS or Daesh), an obscurantist group indifferent to Palestinian statehood and hostile to Hamas. (The repeated comparison of Hamas to ISIS by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always been erroneous to the point of mendacity). It imputed a degree of responsibility to Abdel-Fattah as a Palestinian…
^Turnbull 2025: "And I would respectfully say to Bibi Netanyahu, please stay out of our politics. If you've got that kind of commentary to make, you are not helping. I know Netanyahu, I know him pretty well actually. And look I understand where he's coming from, his passion and so forth. But this is not helping and it's not right. As Albanese has said, and as we all know, as Wes Streeting has said in your country, the vast majority of countries in the world recognise Palestine as a state.The vast majority support a two-state solution. Indeed, when I was Prime Minister, Israel notionally supported a two-state solution. It doesn't any longer. But this is not helping. And the message that I used to make when I was in Parliament and the message I've made since then is we cannot allow these foreign wars and conflicts to be imported here. We are a very successful multicultural society."
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