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.”
Benjamin Netanyahu Slams Australia For Fueling Antisemitism
Netanyahu used the occasion to sharply criticise Australia’s response to the Sydney shooting, saying he conveyed his concerns directly to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Turning to the attack, Netanyahu said Australia’s government policy “encourages terror.” He went further, arguing that it fuels antisemitism.
Also Read: Meet Ahmed Al Ahmed: Sydney Fruit Seller Who Wrestled Gun From Bondi Beach Shooter, Emerges As Hero
“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.”
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.
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
