Bondi Beach Pogrom
The Signs Were There: Australian Antisemitism Since October 7th
Australia can pretend to be shocked and apalled by the Chanuka pogrom, believing that their multiculturalism and lack of guns should have protected them. As FM Sa'ar said, Australian antisemitism is nothing new, and the signs stared them in the face.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Australia had received “countless warning signs” before the deadly antisemitic attack at a Chanukah event in Sydney. Below is a non-exhaustive list of documented antisemitic incidents in Australia during 2024 and 2025, excluding the Bondi Beach shooting itself, illustrating the climate Sa’ar was referring to.
2025
2024
According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, 1,654 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the year ending October 2025, including assaults, threats, vandalism, and harassment. The majority occurred in New South Wales and Victoria.
It is this pattern — not a single event — that Israeli officials say formed the backdrop to the Bondi Beach attack.