Sydney’s Hanukkah Attack Must Be the Western World’s Final Wake-Up Call

Last Sunday, in Australia, more than 1,000 Jews gathered on Bondi Beach to proudly and publicly celebrate Hanukkah.

Tragically, many of those families returned home without their loved ones. Fifteen innocent partygoers, including children, were murdered simply for being Jewish. Many more are still wounded in the hospital.

As horrific as the mass shooting in Australia is, this violence was entirely predictable.

After October 7, 2023, a day when more than 1,200 people were brutally murdered and the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, “globalize the intifada” protests took over the world.

Supporting the globalization of the Intifada is supporting terrorism. The results are what we saw in Sydney this past weekend.

Just in the past year, Jews in Australia have seen synagogues, schools, and homes firebombed. In January, a trailer was discovered with explosives that were intended to cause a mass casualty event at a Sydney synagogue. One month later, also in Sydney, two nurses threatened to kill Jewish patients in their hospital.

These signs should have been more than enough to prevent attacks like the one that took place in Bondi.

Local governments around the world have a responsibility to recognize these patterns and take action. But most of them did not.

When masked rioters march down city streets screaming “globalize the intifada,” that is not just about the Jewish people or Israel. It is about the entirety of Western civilization. It is an assault on democracy and the values of a free society.

This is why Jewish people (and many others) are so alarmed when a growing number of Americans have participated in and even led anti-Israel rallies that called for violence — and help set the climate for and encourage this kind of antisemitic violence.

On Tuesday, a Jewish man was stabbed in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights. Earlier this week, a group of young Jewish men were harassed on the subway, where the aggressor shouted, “I’ll kill you.”

Last month, a protest was held in front of Park East Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Chants called for violence, including “From New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada” and “No peace on stolen land.”

And this was not a first for New York City.

I began my tenure as Spokeswoman at the Consulate General of Israel to New York in August 2024, at the height of this city’s widespread protests outside synagogues, elected officials’ residences, and on college campuses.

Over the last year, the United States has seen an exponential rise in antisemitism.

Two notable incidents include the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers at an American Jewish Committee event in Washington, D.C., and a protest in Boulder, Colorado, where flamethrowers were hurled at those advocating for the release of the hostages held by Hamas.

Without meaningful action, the risk of further violence remains high.

Sunday’s horrific attack in Australia was the result of warning signs that were ignored for far too long.

History has shown us what happens when warnings are overlooked. Violence erupts, extremists take over the streets, and innocent lives are lost.

We need to take the language we are hearing on the streets seriously. The extremists mean what they say.

This Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, we are celebrating that there are no longer any living hostages in Gaza, and that those 20 brave Israelis are once again with their families after two years in Hamas’ underground dungeons.

But we are also celebrating Hanukkah during a time when antisemitic slurs are normalized, and many Jewish people are afraid to wear their Star of David necklaces in public. In 2025.

We can see troubling parallels with dark times in Jewish history, but the difference is that today, the Jewish people have a nation.

But action is also needed worldwide. Leaders must support their Jewish citizens and stand up against antisemitism and hate.

I am fighting that fight here in New York, meeting with media and community leaders, ensuring our story is understood and shared fairly, and that the extremists’ messages are being taken seriously by all.

This Hanukkah, I will continue to pray for the families of those lost this week in Sydney’s attack, as well as for safety and a better new year for Israel, the Jewish people, and the entire Western world.

Ariella Rada is Spokesperson and Consul for Media Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.