The Contagion Of Antisemitism Strikes Australia |
The Festival of Lights was tragically and momentarily dimmed in Sydney, Australia, on December 14 when two gunmen opened fire on a Chanukah festival on Bondi Beach, killing 12 people in the bloodiest antisemitic incident in Australian history.
One of the victims, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was a Chabad emissary who organized this festive event.
Arsen Ostrovsky, a human rights lawyer and the director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, was among the wounded.
It was the worst attack against Jews since Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the deaths of roughly 1,200 Israelis and foreigners.
Nearly 30 years earlier, on July 18, 1994, the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires was bombed, causing the deaths of 85 people.
The outrage in Australia, while shocking and appalling, is not entirely surprising. Since October 7, there has been an upsurge of global antisemitism, affecting countries ranging from the........