President Isaac Herzog sent condolences to Australia’s Jewish community after a deadly terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration, stressing unity, resilience, and the triumph of light over darkness.

Days after Hamas attacked Israel in 2023, killing some 1,200 people and sparking the war in Gaza, an inverted red triangle was spray-painted on the front of a Jewish bakery in Sydney, the first of a string of antisemitic incidents in Australia.

Various Israeli government officials suggested Australia had failed to combat hatred of Jews. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

At least 10 people were murdered and dozens wounded in a mass shooting incident at an outdoor Chanukah celebration in the Bondi Beach neighborhood of Sydney on Sunday.

Jewish community leaders said the shooting struck at a moment of celebration, as families gathered at sundown to light the first candle of Hanukkah, an eight-day festival commemorating Jewish religious freedom. Casualty figures varied in early reporting as hospitals treated the wounded and authorities worked to confirm fatalities.

"This is a targeted attack on Australian Jews on the first day of Hanukkah. This is an act of anti-Semitism, pure anti-Semitism, that has struck our people"

Israeli leaders condemned a shooting in Sydney targeting a Hanukkah celebration that killed 11 people on Sunday, with various government officials suggesting Australia had failed to combat hatred of Jews.