The shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which took place during the first day of the Jewish religious festival Hanukkah, was first and foremost a profound human tragedy and an act rooted in antisemitic violence. 

A moment meant for religious observance and communal gathering was brutally interrupted, leaving at least 15 people dead, families devastated, and a city in mourning. 

Any discussion that follows must begin with this recognition: the attack targeted the Jewish community during a sacred time, and the victims deserve remembrance, dignity, and justice—free from political distortion.

Yet history shows that such moments of collective trauma rarely remain confined to mourning alone. 

In Western societies – and much of the world – acts of public violence are quickly absorbed into broader political narratives, often before investigations are complete or motives are clearly established. 

The Bondi shooting is no exception.

Within hours of the attack, online spaces—particularly platforms such as X—were already awash with speculation, insinuation, and outright accusations directed at Muslims. 

Posts linking the violence to Islam, migration, or “Muslim extremism” spread rapidly, despite the absence of verified evidence. 

Some social media users even shared videos of Christmas-linked fireworks to claim that “Islamists” were celebrating the killing of Jews in Bondi........

© TRT World