Sydney’s Bondi Beach shooting: As Jewish families mourn the dead, anger and tension have spilled into the streets in several parts of the world. Massive anto-Jewish protest broke out in Amsterdam. In Australia, many say this did not come out of the blue. For months before the attack, Jewish Australians had been warning about rising harassment and intimidation. Those incidents began just days after the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel and kept building.

ALSO READ

Amsterdam protest turns violent outside concert hall

Hours after news of the Bondi attack spread, tensions erupted in Amsterdam. Dutch police arrested 22 people following clashes outside the famous Concertgebouw concert hall, where a performance involving Israel Defence Forces chief cantor Shai Abramson was scheduled, Times of Israel reported.

Several protesters gathered near the venue on Sunday evening. Police said they had to intervene multiple times to keep them away from the building and maintain law and order.

Videos shared online showed crowds chanting phrases, smoke bombs being thrownand protesters breaking through barricades. Police were seen using batons to push people back as clashes intensified. Those arrested are now facing charges ranging from violating public assembly rules to possessing fireworks and resisting arrest.

Netanyahu blames Albanese 

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly blamed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the failure to stop antisemitism. Netanyahu said he had warned Albanese months earlier that antisemitism was growing in Australia and needed to be tackled urgently. “Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia,” Netanyahu said. “You did nothing to curb the cancer cells growing inside your country. You let the disease spread — and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.

ALSO READ

Global security tightened after Bondi terror attack

Governments and police forces across the world have ramped up their security checks. Authorities in New York, Washington, DC and New Jersey announced extra security for synagogues and Hanukkah events. London’s Metropolitan Police said security checks would be increased and officers would work closely with Jewish communities. Police in Berlin also said they were boosting security measures.

UK holds vigils after Australia’s Bondi Beach shooting

Across the UK, Jewish communities gathered to remember the victims. Around 100 people attended a vigil outside the Australian High Commission in London. The crowd was seen waving British and Israeli flags and holding signs reading “Stop the Hate.” Nearby, Trafalgar Square hosted a public menorah lighting, while Hanukkah events in north-west London went ahead with extra security.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, lit a menorah at Downing Street. In a message, Starmer said the attack was sickening and promised strong protection for Jewish events.

Jewish communities worldwide wake up to fear and grief

The shooting happened as hundreds gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, a festival to honour the victory of light over darkness. Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch, said Sydney had once felt like a safe place for everyone. “But lately, things have taken a turn for the worse,” he told CNN. “People warned this would happen. They begged the prime minister to act. Nothing serious was done.”

The CEO of the Australian Jewish Association called the Bondi shooting an “entirely foreseeable” tragedy, saying the government had been warned repeatedly about rising hatred. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged Australians to reject division and violence, saying the country would never give in to hatred.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said harassment and violence against Jews in Australia have surged nearly 500% since October 7. “This is not shocking anymore,” he said. “But it is devastating.”