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PHOTOS: The Alexander Rebbe Lighting Menorah [Via Shuki Lerer For YWN]
HaRav Landau Changes Words Of Chanukah Song—Against Attorney General
HY’D: Tibor Weitzen, 78, Killed Protecting Others in Sydney Chanukah Attack
Merriam-Webster Names “Slop” 2025 Word of the Year Amid AI Boom
PHOTO GALLERY: Scenes From Yerushalayim As Chanukah 5786 Gets Underway
Rep. Ryan Zinke Signals Push to Reduce Healthcare Costs
H’YD: Tibor Weitzen: “I Saw My Mother Covered In Blood; She Said: ‘This Is Your Father’s Blood”
Netanyahu Meets US Envoy Tom Barrack on Turkey and Syria
Hagaon HaRav Berel Povarsky, Rosh Yeshivas Ponovezh, on the First Night of Chanukah
1,300-Year-Old Menorah Pendant Discovered Near Har Habayis
Paraguay Lawmaker Backs Netanyahu During Court Testimony
HY’D: Marika Pogany, Identified as Another Sydney Terror Attack Victim
The Sadigura Rebbe on the First Night of Chanukah
FBI Busts Radical Pro-Palestinian Terror Cell Accused of Planning New Year’s Eve Bombings in L.A.
Names of Seven Victims of Sydney Attack Published
Australian officials announced night that the death toll from the vicious, antisemitic rampage at Sydney’s Bondi Beach has climbed to 15 precious lives, a tragedy that has shaken the entire country. For Australia, this is the most devastating act of violence in three decades, not seen since the 1996 massacre in Tasmania that took 35 lives.
Authorities revealed that the perpetrators were a father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Sajid, who held legal permits for six firearms, was killed in the exchange of gunfire, while Naveed remains in critical condition. Police reported finding an ISIS flag inside their vehicle.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the atrocity in stark terms, calling it “an act of pure evil” directed specifically at Australian Jews. “We will devote every possible resource necessary to respond to this attack,” he declared. He added, “My government will continue to stand with Australian Jews, to eradicate all expressions of antisemitism.” The prime minister later visited the site, laying a wreath in memory of the victims.
As the community reels, authorities have released the names of seven of the victims taken in the attack. Among them are Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Chabad shliach in Sydney who helped arrange the Chanukah celebration on Bondi Beach; Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87, murdered as he tried shielding his wife; Tibor Weizmann, who likewise fell while protecting his spouse; Dan Elkayim, 27, a French Jew who moved to Sydney last year; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, another dedicated Chabad shliach; Reuven Morrison, 62, originally from the Soviet Union and a beloved member of the local Chabad kehilla; 82-year-old Marika Pogany; and Matilda, just 10 years old, whose family has chosen not to release her last name.
In addition to the murdered, 42 people were wounded, 11 of them fighting for their lives, including two police officers who rushed toward the danger to save others.
In the wake of the massacre, the National Security Headquarters issued an urgent advisory to Israelis abroad, noting that “past experience shows that there is a concern about copycat phenomena by supporters of terrorism who may act inspired by the event.” They urged travelers and communities to act with heightened caution: avoid unsecured public gatherings, especially those connected to Jewish life; remain alert around Jewish or Israeli locations; and immediately notify security forces if anything suspicious is observed.
{Matzav.com}
Pro-Democracy Media Mogul Jimmy Lai Found Guilty Under Hong Kong Security Law
A Lifelong Learner Rediscovers Passion for Jewish History
John Fetterman Breaks With Democrats, Slams Party’s Palestinian Statehood Stance As ‘Absolute Betrayal’
[Video below.] A deadly shooting at a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney has sparked a rare and forceful rebuke from Sen. John Fetterman, who openly broke with fellow Democrats while siding with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham over concerns about antisemitism and policies toward Israel.
The attack took place Sunday at the annual Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, where gunfire erupted during the event. Australian police said the assault “targeted” the Jewish community and confirmed it is being treated as an act of terrorism. Twelve people were killed, including one suspected attacker, and many others were wounded.
Appearing on “Sunday Morning Futures,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said he was aligned almost entirely with comments Graham had made earlier in the program, particularly regarding international efforts to advance Palestinian statehood despite Hamas’ continued violence. Fetterman said he agreed “with virtually everything” Graham warned about.
“It’s an absolute betrayal for Israel and for the worldwide Jewish community,” said Fetterman.
He went on to criticize Western governments that have moved to recognize a Palestinian state even as Hamas continues to carry out attacks. “Whether it’s France or Australia or any of these nations, our Western allies are now calling for a two-state solution when Hamas refuses to disarm and are actively trying to kill Jews. I can’t imagine why anybody would do that at this point,” he added.
Earlier Sunday, Graham sharply condemned countries that have formally recognized a Palestinian state, accusing them of “rewarding killing Jews” through those decisions. Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada all extended recognition earlier this year. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later issued a statement asserting that the move was not intended to legitimize terrorism, but rather to encourage long-term reconstruction efforts following the Israel-Hamas war.
The United States, by contrast, has not formally recognized a Palestinian state.
Beyond foreign policy, Fetterman turned his criticism inward, accusing fellow Democrats of increasingly tolerating hostile rhetoric toward Israel. He said such language is now “becoming more and more part of my party’s platform.”
“I can’t imagine why so many parts of people in my party continue to back away or to kind of deflect… condemning these kinds of horrific acts of terrorism,” said Fetterman.
Long known as one of the most outspoken pro-Israel voices within the Democratic caucus, Fetterman has repeatedly urged his party to recalibrate its approach to the Jewish state. He also pointed to social media as a major driver of antisemitism, particularly among younger Americans.
“The young people in our nation have turned their back entirely against Israel, and that’s the social media, that’s the scourge, that’s where antisemitism breeds,” he said.
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