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Bondi Beach struck by second mass attack in under two years
Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach has been thrust into mourning once again after a terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration left 15 dead, including a 10-year-old girl, just eight months after a mass stabbing at a nearby shopping centre.
A community shattered
Mary, a 31-year-old UK expatriate who asked to remain anonymous, was at Bondi when the shooting erupted on 14 December. The chaos-helicopters overhead, screaming crowds, and wailing sirens-evoked painful memories of the Westfield Bondi Junction attack in April 2024, where six people were fatally stabbed.
"I say constantly to my family at home how safe it is here," Mary told the BBC, her voice breaking. "But this kind of thing, mass murder, just doesn't happen in Australia. Or so we thought."
From grief to anger
The attack, declared an act of terrorism by police, targeted a Hanukkah event at Bondi Pavilion. Among the victims was 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, whose life ended in another act of antisemitic violence. The first paramedic on the scene had also responded to the Westfield stabbings months earlier.
"They've seen things like you'd see in a war zone," said New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park. "You don't get those images out of your head."
Public grief has quickly curdled into fury. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced boos during public appearances this week, with critics accusing his government of failing to curb rising antisemitism. Protests over the Israel-Gaza conflict, some marred by antisemitic chants, have intensified tensions.
Systemic failures and unanswered questions
The attack has reignited scrutiny of security lapses. A 2019 investigation into one of the alleged gunmen was dropped, prompting a review of federal police and intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, NSW Police face criticism for ignoring warnings about hate preachers radicalising young men in the Muslim community.
"We need to hold multiple truths," said Dr. Zac Seidler, a local psychologist and mental health advocate. "We can condemn antisemitism while acknowledging the right of Muslim Australians to protest Gaza."
Defiance amid despair
Despite the trauma, Bondi's community has rallied. Thousands donated blood, while surfers and lifeguards held vigils for the victims, including 10-year-old Matilda, remembered with bee motifs across the suburb. At a memorial on Sunday, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman urged unity: "Returning to normal is not enough. Sydney must become a beacon of goodness."
Yet fear lingers. MaryAnne, a Jewish local, admitted she's too afraid to wear her Star of David. "I've never felt my Jewishness before," she said. "Now, I don't want to."
A nation's reckoning
The attack has exposed deep societal fractures. While some blame political leaders for stoking divisions, others accuse the media of misrepresenting Jewish and Arab communities. Local MP Allegra Spender warned against scapegoating immigrants, noting that one of the heroes who disarmed a gunman was a Muslim Australian.
As Bondi's floral tributes are cleared, the question remains: Can Australia heal, or will suspicion and fear define its future?
"You can't let them win,"
Henry Jamieson, UK expat and witness
