Australian Church condemns antisemitism after Hannukah attack

‘This is a shocking and deeply distressing reality which calls into question our own understanding of ourselves as Australians,’ said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe.

Church leaders in Australia condemned antisemitism, after 12 people died in what police described as a terrorist attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney called for prayer in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Authorities said one of the alleged gunmen was among the dead, while 29 other people including two police officers were also injured in the attack.

“As we follow the horrific news coming from this evening’s shooting at Bondi Beach, let us pray for those who have been killed or injured,” Fisher said in a statement shortly after the attack. “May Our Lady, Queen of Peace, intercede for all affected, and for our beloved city at this time.”

The archbishop also offered prayers for the “many who were forced to run for their lives” and for emergency service workers responding at the scene.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the violence had “shaken Australians to the core” and condemned what he described as “the scourge of antisemitism”.

“The twisted motives behind those who perpetrated these terrible acts are now clearly linked with the scourge of antisemitism,” Costelloe said in statement. “This is a shocking and deeply distressing reality which calls into question our own understanding of ourselves as Australians.”

He warned that “blind prejudice and hatred points to a dark and destructive stain in our society which threatens not just our Jewish brothers and sisters but, in fact, all of us”.

“We must rediscover our conviction that nothing can ever justify this destructive violence,” he said, urging Australians to ensure that the “justifiable anger we feel does not breed even more violence and hatred”.

The attack occurred on Sunday evening during the “Chanukah by the Sea” event on the first night of Hanukkah. Authorities said two gunmen opened fire on the Jewish community gathering shortly after sunset. One was killed at the scene, while a second was taken into custody. Police said they were investigating whether a third person may have been involved.

Costelloe praised what he described as the “remarkable courage of the police and other first responders, and individual acts of bravery as people sought to protect each other”.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns praised the actions of a bystander who wrestled one of the gunmen to the ground and removed his shotgun, calling him a “genuine hero” who helped save lives, according to local reports.

The state Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said authorities had found improvised explosive devices in a vehicle linked to the deceased attacker. He declared the shooting a terrorist incident, citing the timing on the first night of Hanukkah, the nature of the weapons used and the discovery of the explosives. A bomb disposal unit was deployed to the scene.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the shooting as a “dark moment for our nation,” calling it a “targeted attack on Jewish Australians” and an “act of evil”. He continued: “An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.”

Costelloe concluded his statement by urging unity and peace. “We join with all those who condemn such terrible violence and plead with all Australians to reject any impulse towards hatred and violence and instead to recommit ourselves to being peacemakers in our families, among our friends and in our wider society,” he said.

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