From Bondi Beach to Mumbai
India is on High Alert for Antisemitic Attacks
In the shadow of Bondi Beach and Amsterdam yesterday, Indian intelligence issues a "high level alert" for antisemitic attacks in the country. Parallels are drawn to the 2008 massacre at the Chabad House in Mumbai.
India’s intelligence services have issued a high-level alert warning of potential terrorist attacks targeting Jewish institutions over the Hanukkah holiday, with the warning taking on new urgency following Sunday’s mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed at least 15 people.
According to intelligence assessments cited by Indian media, terror organizations are believed to be planning attacks on Jewish sites in major cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. The advisory was circulated last week, before the Australia attack, underscoring that the threat was already considered credible.
Sources familiar with the warning described it as serious and specific, prompting increased security at identified Jewish institutions and community sites across the country.
The alert has inevitably revived memories of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, when Islamist gunmen targeted multiple locations across the city, including the Chabad House at Nariman House. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were murdered in that attack, which was explicitly aimed at Jews and Israelis and remains one of the most notorious antisemitic terror attacks outside the Middle East.
The parallels have not been lost on Jewish communities, particularly in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting, which also targeted a public Hanukkah event and families celebrating the holiday. Security officials privately acknowledge that Jewish gatherings during festivals remain symbolic and operational targets for jihadist groups.
Following the Sydney attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement condemning the violence. “I strongly condemn the ghastly terrorist attack,” Modi said, adding that “India has zero tolerance towards terrorism and supports the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism.”
Indian authorities have not publicly identified any specific group behind the current threat warnings, but security officials stressed that increased vigilance is necessary during the Hanukkah period, particularly at visible or open-air Jewish events.
The heightened alert reflects a broader global security reassessment after Bondi Beach, reinforcing longstanding concerns that Jewish institutions worldwide remain prime targets for ideologically driven violence — a reality India knows all too well.