Albanese booed at Bondi Beach vigil as Australia confronts antisemitism after Bondi Beach attack
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced boos during a memorial for Hanukkah attack victims as leaders weigh responses to rising antisemitism and policy on Palestinian state recognition
SYDNEY, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was booed Sunday as he attended a Bondi Beach memorial for victims of the Hanukkah attack that killed 15 people on Dec. 14.
An estimated 10,000 mourners gathered at Bondi Beach, including Albanese and a wide range of Australian politicians and members of the Jewish community, to honor those killed and those who were injured. David Ossip, president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, addressed the crowd and said the moment demanded accountability. "This has to be the nadir of antisemitism in our country," Ossip said. "This has to be the moment when light starts to eclipse the darkness."
The scene was tense, with emotions running high as speakers urged unity and action. The crowd cheered when opposition leader Sussan Ley was named, a moment many attendees linked to Ley’s stance on policy toward Israel. Ley has said that a coalition government under her leadership would reverse a decision by Albanese's government to recognize a Palestinian state.
The reception at the vigil comes amid mounting criticism from Jewish leaders and Israeli officials that the Albanese government did not do enough to curb antisemitism before the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted a letter he sent to Albanese earlier this year when Australia announced it would recognize a Palestinian state. He argued the move "pours fuel on the antisemitic fire." Netanyahu also asserted that Australia had failed to halt the spread of antisemitism, a failure he linked to the violence seen in Bondi.
In the days following the attack, Australian security forces intensified their work against extremist networks. Anti-terror police announced the detention of seven men as investigators pursued leads and assessed broader security concerns tied to the incident.
The Dec. 14 assault left 15 people dead and dozens more hospitalized. The attackers were a father-son duo; the father was killed during the rampage. The son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, awoke from a coma after sustaining severe injuries and faces charges of murder and terrorism. Authorities have described a complex investigative effort to determine motive, possible international links, and the path by which the attack was planned and executed.
Hospitals and emergency services described a chaotic, devastating day, with many families still waiting for word about loved ones as the memorial unfolded in the days afterward. Community leaders said responsible leadership is essential to preventing future antisemitic incidents and to supporting victims and their families in the long term.
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As Australia processes the intertwined questions of antisemitism, security, and foreign policy, leaders stressed the need for sustained action to protect Jewish communities while continuing to debate long-term policy choices on Israel and Palestine. The vigil and the political fallout underscore a broader national and international conversation about how best to respond to extremist threats and to ensure that democratic norms and minority rights are safeguarded moving forward.