The deadly shooting at a holiday festival in Sydney has sent shockwaves through Jewish communities worldwide, reinforcing long-held fears about antisemitic violence abroad and, according to Israeli leaders and observers, underscoring the argument for a strong Jewish state.
Speaking at a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony with the family of Ran Gvili, described as the last slain hostage in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to recovering its captives.
“We will bring Rani back, just as we brought back 254 out of our 255 hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Addressing police officers at the National Police College, the prime minister reflected on skepticism surrounding the hostage recoveries. “There were those who did not believe,” he said. “I believe. My colleagues in the government believed. They said, ‘It will be a miracle.’ I said, ‘This people creates miracles.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, helps a people who help themselves.”
Rising Jew Hate- From MIT Professor’s Killing To Brown University Shooting
Authorities in Massachusetts are investigating the fatal shooting of MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, who was killed Monday night at his home on Gibbs Street in Brookline. Police are treating the case as a homicide, though no arrests have been made so far.
The killing has sparked online speculation about a possible connection to a mass shooting that occurred days earlier at Brown University, where a gunman opened fire inside an engineering building classroom during finals preparation. However, law enforcement officials have stressed there is no evidence linking the two incidents.
The Brown University shooting occurred on December 13 at around 4 p.m. inside a first-floor classroom of the Barus Holley engineering building, where students were attending an economics review session.
Two students were killed and nine others were injured in the attack. Among the victims were aspiring neurosurgeon Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and College Republicans Vice President Ella Cook. One of the wounded remains in critical condition, while seven others are reported to be stable.
Orthodox Jews Attacked on New York Subway
In another incident that has drawn widespread condemnation, a violent attack targeting Orthodox Jews occurred late Monday on a New York City subway.
Video footage of the incident, which has circulated widely on social media, shows two individuals verbally and physically attacking members of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community.
According to the footage, the attackers hurled antisemitic insults before one of the victims stepped forward in an attempt to shield the rest of the group. The assailants then grabbed him by the neck and threatened him, with one heard saying, “I’m going to kill you.” Although bystanders can be heard calling for calm, no one intervened during the assault.
Antisemitic Protests Disrupt Hanukkah Events in Amsterdam
Antisemitic chants and the use of smoke bombs marked protests near Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw on Sunday, as Jewish audiences gathered inside for Hanukkah concerts.
Red and green smoke bombs were set off during demonstrations near the venue and at nearby Museumplein, where Israeli cantor Shai Abramson was scheduled to perform at private, invitation-only Hanukkah events. Police were deployed in large numbers as protests unfolded under court-imposed restrictions.
No Safe Place For Jews?
According to Netanyahu, Albanese “did nothing,” adding that more such attacks were likely to follow.
“The safe place for Jews around the world is where the government, the army, and the security forces protect them, first and foremost in Israel, because we defend ourselves,” he said.
Also speaking at the ceremony, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Israel was pressing ahead with legislation that would mandate the death penalty for terrorists.
“A state that respects life must say to those who harm its citizens, their blood is on their own heads,” Ben Gvir said.
“It encourages antisemitism,” Netanyahu said. “You are calling for a Palestinian state, and in effect you are rewarding Hamas for the horrific massacre they carried out on October 7. You are granting legitimacy to all these rioters, and you are not lifting a finger to eliminate these centers of terror. This will lead to more murders.”
Violence Against Jews Strengthens Israel’s Argument Against Hamas, Palestinians, Say Observers
According to observers, the killing of people at a holiday festival in Sydney has, paradoxically, strengthened the case for Israel in the eyes of many Jews worldwide.
While sections of the international community have urged Jews to distance themselves from Israel over the war in Gaza, continued attacks on Jewish targets abroad have reinforced the sense of vulnerability that originally drove the push for a Jewish state.
Rob Eshman, a columnist writing in Forward, argued that attacks on Jews serve to rationalize Zionism, noting that violence against Jewish communities repeatedly underscores the perceived need for Israel’s existence.
Precedents When Violence Against Jews Was Used By Israel To Target Palestinians
In 2023, Netanyahu said his government would expedite gun permits for Israeli citizens and intensify efforts to collect “illegal weapons,” amid pressure from hardline politicians and following two major shooting incidents.
One of those attacks saw seven people killed in a shooting outside a synagogue in an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied East Jerusalem.
The biggest example to explain this paradox is October 7. After Hamas launched an attack on Israel’s Jewish community, Israel launched a full-blown war in Gaza. The war was not limited to Hamas alone. Israel pummeled the whole of Gaza, killing Palestinian civilians in thousands. Critics have even accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
