Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
December 16, 2025
On Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis it had been suggested by a friend, in light of the horrific massacre of 15 Jewish people at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia celebrating the first night of Chanukah, that the menorah lighting here be canceled. Doing so, I objected, would simply give the terrorists the victory they wanted - plunging the global Jewish community into a panic and retreat from thousands of years of tradition.
Instead, not only did the many thousands of menorah lightings around the world take place, attendance outpaced expectations by wide margins, as Jews internationally refused to cower, flinch, or hide. In the darkness of death and despair, the lighting of the menorah offers hope, faith, and history.
Last year around Chanukah Rabbi Eli Schlanger said, “in the face of rising antisemitism, Jews don’t hide - they increase in spreading light. Be more Jewish, act more Jewish, and appear more Jewish.” The 41 year old rabbi, and father of five children, the youngest, a two month old son, lost his life in the Islamist terrorist rampage at Bondi Beach.
All but one of the 15 murdered Jewish Bondi Beach revelers have been identified:
Matilda Britvan, 10, the youngest
Edith Brutman
Dan Elkayam, 27
Boris Gurman, 69 and wife
Sofia Gurman, 61
Alexander Kleytman, 87, the oldest and a Holocaust survivor
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39
Peter Meagher, 61
Reuven Morrison, 62
Marika Pogany, 82
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41
Adam Smyth, 50
Boris Tetleroyd
Tibor Weitzen, 78
May their memories be for a blessing.
In addition to the 15 murdered, more than 40 people suffered wounds, many life threatening, at the hands of a pair of father-son radical Islamic terrorists. Although police killed the 50 year old suspect and subdued his 24 year old son, the duo fired from multiple guns for 10 solid minutes at the Jewish celebrants running for their lives at Bondi Beach in the worst antisemitic incident in Australian history. (The Jewish population of Australia is about 118,000, out of a total national population of 27,690,000.) As of this date the surviving terrorist faces 59 charges - first degree murder and acts of terrorism.
Acts of antisemitism on the island continent have risen by 316 percent from 2023 through 2024, and the Hamas slaughter of 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023 has, no doubt, been the impetus of the rise in antisemitism. The Muslim extremist terrorists murder of those 1,200 Israelis totaled the largest single day slaughter of Jewish people since the Holocaust. Calls to globalize the intifada have resulted in just that - the globalization of the intifada - far and wide - Western Europe, Israel, throughout the United States, and, of course Australia, as the precipitous rise in antisemitism has become more and more reminiscent of 1930s Germany.
But what is perhaps equally as disturbing is the warning signs that have been flashing like a blue light special at the now defunct K-Mart - and ignored. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu placed blame squarely on the narrow shoulders of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese citing two main reasons. Albanese, as well as the so-called leaders of Canada, France, and Great Britain, in a weak-kneed, conciliatory manner, endorsed the creation of a Palestinian state. This most certainly opened the floodgates even farther for increased antisemitism. This, plus the increased signals that have been ignored, gave a wide berth to the terrorists who acted with reckless abandon in their slaughter of 15 innocent Jewish observers on the first night of Chanukah.
“Instead, Prime Minister, you replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement. Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia. You did nothing to curb the cancer cells that were growing inside your country. You took no action - you let the disease spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today,” said Netanyahu in response to the antisemitic terror attacks at Bondi Beach.
“We have repeatedly warned the Australian government of the urgent need to uproot the spreading antisemitism in Australia,” said Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, also on Sunday.
Rabbi Yaakov Menken from the Coalition for Jewish Values said the Australian prime minister has blood on his hands.
In light of Netanyahu communicating intelligence to Australia about antisemitism and warning that something like the Chanukah attack could happen, The Times of Israel reported on Monday, December 15 the “Australian PM rejects Netanyahu’s linking of Palestine recognition to Bondi attack.” To which the same paper quoted Albanese saying, “overwhelmingly, most of the world recognizes a two-state solution as being the way forward in the Middle East.” Sadly, Albanese is part of the problem both with his naivete on the potential success of a two state solution, as well as his failure to mention Jews or antisemitism during his initial remarks following the antisemitic murders at Bondi Beach.
A timeline of Australian antisemitism since the Hamas Islamist terror attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023:
October 9, 2023: more than 1,000 pro-Palestinians chanting “gas the Jews” and “F the Jews,” outside the famed Sydney Opera House;
October 13, 2024: a Jewish bakery marred with graffiti and vandalism in Sydney;
December 6, 2024: a Melbourne synagogue firebombed;
December 11, 2024: a car set on fire and antisemitic graffiti on homes in Sydney;
January 10, 2025: Allawah synagogue in southern Sydney vandalized with swastikas and other graffiti condemning Jews and praising Hitler;
January 21, 2025: Sydney childcare center set ablaze and had antisemitic graffiti - “F the Jews;”
February 12, 2025: two hospital nurses in Sydney suspended for making antisemitic remarks - also threatened to kill Jewish/Israeli patients;
July 4, 2025: Arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue with 20 worshippers inside;
December 14, 2025: Bondi Beach Chanukah massacre, 15 murdered, 40-plus wounded.
This is yet another reason not to reward terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and ISIS, who have written into their charters the destruction of Israel and the death of the Jewish people, with a state existing side by side with Israel, or anywhere else, for that matter. In fact homemade ISIS flags were found amongst the father-son terrorist’s belongings, indicating the influence the terror organization had on the duo.
This is also another reason not to castigate Israel for not accepting so-called Palestinian refugees. Where is the outcry over the 50-plus Arab/Muslim nations, all of whom have issued the same rejection of their ethnic brethren. They know full well that welcoming these so-called refugees will in no way improve those countries. These are radical Islamist terrorists hell bent on destruction of life and land.
A modicum of proof comes from the 2005 vacating of Gaza by an entire Jewish community. They not only dug up graves for reinternment outside of Gaza, but left infrastructure in place, including greenhouses. Under Hamas’ authoritarian rule - the Gazans elected Hamas and there has not been another election since - the infrastructure was razed, including the greenhouses. In its place, Hamas constructed several hundred miles of tunnels through which they could carry out their terrorist atrocities - including holding 250 Israelis and others hostage for more than two years. Hiding behind women and children, placing bombs and other munitions in elementary schools, hospitals, and even their mosques, these radical Islamist terrorists “live” a culture of death. They reward mothers who strap bombs on their own children to detonate within Jewish communities.
Whether Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, Haqqani network, Houthis, Ansar Bait al-Maqqis, ISIS, and/or the Islamic Republic of Iran these jihadists are already infiltrating the United States. This is just the tip of the iceberg of a more exhaustive list. They are not here to assimilate and help make America great again. At more than two billion people globally, the Muslim population is the fastest growing in the United States, and they are seeking to impose Sharia to supplant the United States Constitution. They have already created several Sharia courts in a few states - Alabama and Texas, for example. They’re here and have committed a greater number of terrorist attacks than any other group. There have been over 65,000 Muslim terror attacks in 70-plus countries since 2001. All anyone needs to do is look at the results of unfettered Muslim migration in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, and for the past three to four decades in towns and cities near you. Other faiths such as Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and Jews account for less than two percent of terror attacks combined. None, from any religious group or otherwise, are acceptable.
When people tell you they are coming for you, believe them. First it’s the Saturday people - the Jewish people - the canary in the coal mine, then it’s the Sunday people - Christians. Witness the Muslim slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, where more than 56,000 Christians have been murdered in the last four years. These are not a peaceful people. We, the patriotic Americans who abide by Judeo-Christian beliefs and values as well as the Constitution must do all we can to protect the United States of America in order for it to continue to be a beacon unto the world - a safe haven for those who may be oppressed, wish to immigrate to America to make this a better country. We want givers, not takers - people who will contribute to, and not be a drain on society. Those who come from countries who live under a culture of death, countries where their people march in the streets shouting “death to America,” and “death to Israel,” should never be welcome to enter the United States of America. This is not racist or bigoted. This is a matter of self-preservation. May G-d comfort the mourners and families of the slain Australians, and may G-d continue to Bless the United States of America.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
No comments:
Post a Comment