At least 10 murdered at Hanukkah celebration in Australia."We hid behind a car until the shooting stopped, then we ran to the car," said a Sydney resident who was there with his children. In the Jewish community's WhatsApp group, a member wrote:"My nephew was shot, they saved him." Israelis in Australia: "It was expected, but politicians told us we were hysterical and exaggerating"
Roy Rubinstein, Australia, Itamar Eichner, Sheila Fried, Ron Krisi, Meir Turgeman|
A little while later
The mass shooting attack
This morning (Sunday) at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, a local resident told Ynet:"There are helicopters above our house and they are telling us not to go out into the streets. They are still looking for people who participated in the attack. This is a traditional event of lighting the first candle. We are all in shock. We don't know yet who was injured."
Earlier, a video was released of gunmen shooting at attendees at the event, and according to reports coming from the state, there were dead and injured at the scene. Many revelers were filmed fleeing the popular resort. Footage was also released of two gunmen being arrested, but as mentioned, it is not clear if all of the perpetrators of the attack were caught.
The New South Wales Jewish Council of Representatives issued an urgent statement stating:"All community events and institutions are closed until further notice. We are coordinating closely with law enforcement and the New South Wales Government. Please stay home or in a shelter until further notice."
An eyewitness who was on the beach said that after the shots were heard, he heard two children, about five or six years old, hiding under the car, and when he approached them, they said,"'Our mother, our mother.'" He pulled their mother from under the car and realized that she had been shot in the back of the head and shoulder: "I had to apply pressure to the wounds for about 20 minutes. The wounds were large. Then paramedics took control of her and after 45 minutes the ambulance arrived. It looked like a war zone."
Jason, who was present at the shooting scene, told Ynet that he had come with his son and wife to a bar mitzvah that was held near the Hanukkah event - and then the shooting began:"We heard a lot of gunshots. At first we thought it was fireworks, and then we saw a lot of people starting to run away. We met two women who were running away from the event. One of them was eight months pregnant. They asked to get into our car and we ran away from there together."
Correspondence in a WhatsApp group of members of the Jewish community in the city of Hachamishah reflects the confusion and concern that prevails in the wake of the events."Is this still happening?" wrote a surfer named Jessie."My friend is hiding under the table. She works there."
A woman named Susan replied: "Some victims are currently at the surf club waiting for crews." A friend named Jenny added: "My nephew was shot, I feel sick, save him."
Haim Levy, a Sydney resident who was there with his children at the time of the shooting and managed to escape, said:"It was an event organized by Chabad people on the beach, and 400 people came to light a Hanukkah candle, like we do every year. Suddenly we heard explosions, and we didn't know what it was. I grabbed my son, we hid behind a car until the shooting stopped, and then I ran to our car. My wife and the child ran to another place, without shoes, we just ran. We left strollers and bags there. We are in shock."
3 Viewing the gallery
Documentation: Neutralizing the shooters on the bridge (Photo: According to Section 27A of the Copyright Act)
Weapon belonging to one of the shooters (Photo: ABC Australia)
One of the injured in the incident (Photo: According to Section 27A of the Copyright Act)
Levy testified that the level of security at the scene was low: "There were only a few police officers, not like after October 7, and it took a long time for reinforcements to arrive, something like fifteen minutes. When I left, I didn't know yet that it was a shooting, we just heard explosions from all sides."
An Israeli woman who was on her way to the celebration added: "There was a big panic. It's a party that Chabad organizes and is intended mainly for parents and small children. From what I understand from my friends there, there is a lot of fear. They moved us all north on the coast. Australians are not used to such events here, so right now I'm trying to calm my friend who was nearby. She was not hurt."
Shai, an Israeli living on Bondi Beach, told Ynet:"It was expected. The level of everyday hatred towards Jews here is not normal." Another member of the city's Jewish community, who asked to remain anonymous, added:"I don't want to be the one to say this, but we all said it was just a matter of time, and certain politicians told us we were hysterical and exaggerating."
Another Jew who lived in Sydney and attended the event said: "There were shots fired and we just lay down on the grass. There is crazy chaos here, it is a disaster for our community. We knew this could happen." He also pointed an accusing finger at the Australian government: "This is what happens when the government ignores all the previous attacks against us."
Elliot, a member of the Jewish community in Sydney:"We heard the shots from afar. At first I was still looking up at the sky to see if the fireworks had started at the wrong time. All I remember is seeing people covered in blood running towards us and we ran away. There was a terrible mess. Children were looking for their parents and the shots went on for about a full minute, which I thought was like an eternity."
President of the Mizrahi Movement in Australia, Dr. Danny Lam:"My family members were at the event and left. I understand that it wasn't just on the beach but also in the nearby neighborhood. I didn't think it would come to this. When there were attacks on the synagogue and the restaurant, we learned that Iran sent people to carry out these things. But we didn't think we would get to this point of shooting incidents. That makes the threat much more serious."
President of the state, Isaac Herzog, said:"We send reinforcement from here to our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community in Australia. The heart skips a beat when it hears what our brothers and sisters are going through. We have repeatedly warned the Australian government about the need to root out the criminal and spreading anti-Semitism."
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar: "Unfortunately, the attack was expected. When for two years there have been anti-Semitic demonstrations on the streets of Australia, and in Sydney in particular, with chants of"Globalize the Intifada," in the end this is exactly what happened. We have warned the Australian government countless times, which unfortunately did not take sufficient steps. It must come to its senses."
