Jewish Australians mourn as Israel sounds alarm, governments hesitate, extremists empowered by unchecked Islamist narratives
Israel’s Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, delivered an emotional warning following the terror attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, saying the massacre confirmed fears he had raised for years about escalating antisemitism—especially after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.
Speaking to the media, Maimon said his “heart is torn apart,” revealing he personally knew victims of the attack. He noted that during his tenure, he has visited every synagogue in Australia that was attacked, a grim pattern reflecting a broader failure to confront antisemitic radicalization before it turns lethal.
The ambassador described a disturbing reality for Jewish students across Australia, where many campuses now require secured Jewish-only study spaces due to safety threats. “This is insane,” he said, warning that such conditions are incompatible with democratic values.
Maimon extended condolences not only to Jewish families but to all Australians, urging the government to guarantee safety for every citizen—Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. His appeal came amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents nationwide, from firebombings and arson attacks on synagogues to cars and homes defaced with violent anti-Jewish slogans.
Recent weeks alone saw the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne firebombed, Jewish neighborhoods vandalized in Woollahra, and synagogues in Allawah and Newtown targeted with swastikas and hate graffiti. Despite this pattern, one arsonist was controversially ruled to be motivated by “mental illness,” a judgment critics say minimizes the ideological roots of antisemitic violence.
Israel views such attacks as part of a global wave of Jew-hatred, fueled by Islamist incitement and enabled by silence or moral confusion in parts of the Arab world and beyond. As Israel confronts terror directly, Jewish communities abroad are left paying the price for international hesitation and double standards.
