Feed aggregator

A massive outpouring of support has swept across Australia and beyond for Ahmed al Ahmed, as donations for the man credited with stopping one of the Bondi Beach shooters soared past A$1.1 million in just a single day. The 43-year-old, who was struck by gunfire during the attack, is recuperating in the hospital after undergoing surgery for wounds to his arm and hand.

Before he became the focus of international praise, Ahmed was crouched behind parked vehicles, watching chaos unfold. In a split-second decision, he rushed one of the attackers from behind, overpowering him, knocking him to the ground, and wrenching the weapon away.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns shared an image from Ahmed’s hospital room, noting publicly that “There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage.” He added his thanks in a second post: “Thank you, Ahmed.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking to ABC News, described the events as a stark contrast of human behavior. “What we’ve seen in the last 24 hours was the worst of humanity in a terrorist act,” Albanese said. “But we also saw an example of the best of humanity in Ahmed Al Ahmed running towards danger, putting his own life at risk.” President Donald Trump echoed those sentiments from the White House on Sunday, joining the chorus of praise for the Sydney resident.

Albanese confirmed that Ahmed had been shot twice by the second terrorist during the takedown. Family members reported the injuries were to his arm and hand.

Authorities revealed on Monday that the attack on the Hanukkah gathering was carried out by a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, marking Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades, with 15 lives lost.

Speaking to ABC News, Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, described his son’s instinctive response. “My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people.” He added, “When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon.”

Ahmed’s cousin, Jozay Alkanji, said he has already had one operation and that additional procedures may be needed as he continues his recovery.

Expressions of gratitude have flooded in from political leaders at every level. Premier Minns visited St George Hospital, later writing online that “Ahmed is a real-life hero,” accompanied by a photo of him standing beside Ahmed, who rested with his arm in a cast.

President Donald Trump also commented on Ahmed’s heroism, calling him “a very, very brave person” whose actions prevented even greater bloodshed.

A GoFundMe effort established for Ahmed drew extraordinary attention, with more than A$1.1 million contributed within 24 hours. Among the donors was billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who gave A$99,999 and shared the campaign on social media, amplifying global support for the man many now view as a symbol of courage under fire.

{Matzav.com}

A joyful Chanukah celebration in Sydney was shattered by a hateful terrorist attack. Innocent lives were lost — including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor. Many are critically injured. Families are broken, children traumatized, and an entire community is grieving in shock. This darkness is real. The pain is unbearable. Please help the victims […]

Russia has indicated it’s open to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of a potential peace deal to end the war, U.S. officials said Monday. The officials who briefed reporters after U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as British, French and German officials in Berlin […]

Sen. Tom Cotton: “We need to be mindful about mass migration from the third world, especially places that are known to have radical Islamic movements, and to hate America, and to hate Jews.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer: I want to reassure our Jewish communities that we will take every step that we can, use all of our powers to make sure that they are safe and secure, as they should be in the United Kingdom.

Rabbi Mendy Korer pays tribute to his childhood friend, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, HY”D, who was among the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack. “He was dedicated to his community and ensuring each and every person should be nurtured and looked after.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese forcefully rejected criticism from Prime Minister Netanyahu today, dismissing any connection between Canberra’s support for recognizing a Palestinian state and the deadly terror attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney.

Albanese’s remarks came a day after Netanyahu sharply rebuked the Australian government, accusing its policies of fueling a rise in antisemitism. “Their policy pours oil on the antisemitic fire,” Netanyahu said Sunday night.

Speaking Monday to Australian television, Albanese responded unequivocally: he said he “does not accept Netanyahu’s claim linking recognition of a Palestinian state to the attack.”

Rather than address the policy failures that many in Australia say contributed to the tragedy, Albanese argued that the country is confronting a wide range of threats. He said that both “the rise of antisemitism and of the extreme right” represent serious dangers, adding that as prime minister, his responsibility is “to bring the Australian nation together and overcome the forces seeking to divide us and set Australians against each other.”

“This is a time to embrace the Jewish community,” he insisted, “not only those directly affected by the attack — everyone.”

Meanwhile, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited the hospitalized hero who subdued one of the terrorists. Minns met with Ahmad al-Ahmad, the courageous civilian who wrestled a gunman to the ground during the massacre.

“Ahmad is a true hero,” Minns said after the meeting. “Last night, his incredible bravery undoubtedly saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk.”

{Matzav.com}

Creepy, zany and demonstrably fake content is often called “slop.” The word’s proliferation online, in part thanks to the widespread availability of generative artificial intelligence, landed it Merriam-Webster’s 2025 word of the year. “It’s such an illustrative word,” said Greg Barlow, Merriam-Webster’s president, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. “It’s […]

Five young girls just lost their father — and their mother is still in the hospital, unaware she is now a widow. The children are alone, their home broken, and they have nothing.

[Video below.] Appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky cautioned that aggressive redistricting efforts in the middle of a decade risk inflaming civil tensions and could even spark violence among voters who feel shut out of the political process.

The discussion arose as host Kristen Welker pressed Paul on President Donald Trump’s stance toward Indiana Republicans who opposed a proposed redistricting plan. Welker asked, “On domestic policy and redistricting, President Trump is threatening the primary and all of the Indiana lawmakers who voted against his redistricting plan and the new map that would have benefited Republicans. Do you support Republicans trying to redraw maps mid-decade?”

Paul responded by framing the issue as a long-running, bipartisan escalation. “You know, it’s this escalation on both sides. Both sides are doing it, and so is one side going to sit quietly and not do it? You can argue who started it. But I do think this, and this is a negative aspect of both parties doing this, I think it will lead to more civil tension and possibly more violence in our country. Because think about it, if 35% of Texas is Democrat, solidly Democrat, and they have zero representation or like my state, we are a very Republican state, we have one Democrat area in Louisville, and we have a Democrat congressman. We could carve up Louisville and get rid of the one congressman, but how does that make Democrats feel? I think it makes them feel like they’re not represented. So, I don’t know, I think it’s bad, but it’s really not one party or the other doing it, it’s both parties doing it since the beginning of time. But in general, when it becomes so extreme, like if California has no Republican representatives after this is done, or has one left, I think that makes people so dissatisfied, they think, well, the electoral process isn’t working anymore, maybe we have to resort to other means. I think it could happen to both sides.”

Welker followed up, underscoring the gravity of his remarks, asking, “I have to follow up because what you’re saying is significant. You are concerned that redistricting could lead to more political violence?”

Paul confirmed that concern, saying, “I am concerned that if there are no representatives, like no Republican representatives in California or no Democrats in Texas, that it would be so thoroughly one-sided that people will feel like their vote isn’t counting. So I think it’s a mistake.”

He concluded by emphasizing the broader risk of disenfranchisement, adding, “I think there is the potential, if people feel they have no representation and are disenfranchised, that it can lead and might lead to violence in our country.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of talmidim of the Slabodka Yeshiva gathered on Sunday night for the annual Chanukah chagigah led by the Roshei Yeshivos, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. Like every year, the talmidim sang the song “זֵדִים הֱלִיצֻנִי עַד מְאֹד מִתּוֹרָתְךָ לֹא נָטִיתִ.” (“The arrogant have mocked me greatly, yet I did […]

HY’D: Another victim of the Sydney massacre has been identified as Tibor Weitzen, H’yd, 78, a member of the Bondi Chabad shul and a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He had attended the Chanukah celebration with his wife, children and grandchildren and died as he tried to shield a family friend from the bullets. Sadly, […]

Merriam-Webster’s 2025 Word of the Year is “slop.” Once a term for mud or low-value junk, “slop” has taken on a new meaning in the AI era: low-quality digital content churned out at scale by generative artificial intelligence. According to Merriam-Webster, the spike in searches for thew word reflects growing public awareness — and fatigue […]

Photo Credits: Sara Heiney

Rep. Ryan Zinke on Healthcare: I would imagine we’ll probably get some bills to reduce overall care…

Another victim of the Sydney massacre has been identified as Tibor Weitzen, H’yd, 78, a member of the Bondi Chabad shul and a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He had attended the Chanukah celebration with his wife, children and grandchildren and died as he tried to shield a family friend from the bullets. Sadly, she […]