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New York City mayoral-elect Zohran Mamdani issued a statement today responding to the deadly antisemitic terror attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, but his wording has drawn sharp criticism for downplaying the nature of the assault.

In a post published on X, Mamdani described the attack as “a vile act of antisemitic terror” and said he was mourning those murdered and praying for their families, the Jewish community, and the Chabad movement. He cited reports indicating that at least 11 people were killed and dozens injured, including Rabbi Eli Schlangler.

However, critics quickly seized on Mamdani’s later characterization of the attackers. Rather than referring to them as terrorists, Mamdani wrote that “men with long guns targeted innocents” on Bondi Beach, language that many say minimizes the ideological nature of the attack and echoes phrasing commonly used to avoid labeling antisemitic violence as terrorism.

Mamdani’s statement went on to draw parallels between the Sydney attack and fears held by Jewish communities worldwide, writing that many Jews no longer feel safe worshiping publicly or entering synagogues without armed security. He added that what happened in Bondi is what many Jewish communities fear could happen in their own neighborhoods.

In the final portion of his post, Mamdani referenced a bystander who reportedly ran toward the gunfire and disarmed one of the attackers, urging New Yorkers to confront hatred with urgency and action. He pledged that, once in office, he would work daily to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe “on our streets, our subways, at shul, in every moment of every day.”

Despite those assurances, Mamdani’s response was met with skepticism from Jewish activists and communal figures, many of whom pointed to his longstanding record of hostility toward Israel and repeated refusal to clearly condemn antisemitic actors when they align with causes he supports. Several critics argued that his choice of words — particularly the decision to describe the attackers as “men with long guns” — reflects a broader pattern of rhetorical sanitization when Jewish victims are targeted.

During the New York City mayoral campaign, Mamdani was repeatedly asked about the slogan “Globalize the Intifada.” When asked on a podcast in June whether he would condemn it, he declined to do so and instead described it as language that “means very different things to different people,” and emphasized that the mayor shouldn’t “police language.”

“This was not a random act of violence or generic gun crime,” one Jewish community leader said. “It was terrorism, carried out against Jews celebrating Chanukah. Language matters, especially from someone about to become mayor of the largest Jewish city in the world.”

{Matzav.com}

A survivor of the deadly terror attack at the Chanukah by the Sea celebration in Sydney said police officers on the scene failed to act for an extended period as gunmen carried out a prolonged shooting spree that left 11 people dead.

Shmulik Scuri, who was attending the family-friendly event with his relatives, said the attack began when two suspects opened fire from a bridge overlooking the crowd of Jewish worshippers gathered at Bondi Beach.

“For 20 minutes. They shoot, shoot. Change magazines. And just shoot,” Scuri told reporters, describing the relentless nature of the gunfire.

According to Scuri, several police officers were present but appeared immobilized as the shooting continued. “Twenty minutes, there was four policemen there. Nobody give fire back. Nothing. Like they froze,” he said of the response. “I don’t understand why.”.”

Asked who the attackers appeared to be targeting, Scuri said there was no distinction. “Everyone. Jews. Men, old, kids, everyone! It doesn’t matter.”

Scuri added that one of the gunmen, positioned on the bridge, was able to reload both a rifle and a handgun repeatedly while continuing to fire at the crowd without interruption.

Video footage from the scene shows two terrorists, at least one armed with a shotgun, discharging weapon after weapon from above, raining bullets onto the 2025 Chanukah by the Sea gathering below.

It was only after a local fruit vendor rushed in and managed to disarm one of the attackers that police appeared to respond with gunfire, ultimately killing one of the shooters, according to video evidence from the scene.

Authorities said one of the suspected attackers was killed at the scene, while the second was apprehended in critical condition.

Australian media later identified one of the suspects as Naveed Akram, with police subsequently raiding his residence following the attack.

Law enforcement officials also reported that improvised explosive devices were found inside the vehicle belonging to the deceased gunman at Bondi Beach.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns condemned the massacre as a targeted act of terror against the Jewish community during the holiday. “This cowardly act of terrified violence is shocking and painful to see and represents some of our worst fears about terrorism in Sydney,” Minns said.

“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Chanukah,” he added. “What should’ve been a night of peace and joy celebrated in that community with families and supporters has been shattered by this horrifying evil attack.”

Police acknowledged that one of the attackers had previously appeared on the Australian Security Intelligence Organization watchlist, though he was not classified as “an immediate threat.”

The Bondi Beach massacre is being described as the deadliest shooting in Australia since April 1996, when a gunman killed 35 people and wounded 23 others in Port Arthur, Tasmania.

{Matzav.com}

One of the victims of the deadly terror attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney has been identified as Alex Kleytman hy”d, a Holocaust survivor and native of Ukraine.  Kleytman and his wife, Larisa, had come to celebrate at the event, as they had for years. “He came on Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah,” Larisa […]

A Los Angeles jury awarded $40 million on Friday to two women who claimed that talcum powder made by Johnson & Johnson caused their ovarian cancer. The giant health care company said it would appeal the jury’s liability verdict and compensatory damages. The verdict is the latest development in a longstanding legal battle over claims […]

Chanukah Zemiros in Vishnitz prepared for the Vishnitzer Chassidim, with all the “אוי אוי” arranged in the proper places for their special Niggunim.

The first night of Chanukah on the snowy Chermon Mountains in Northern Israel.

HY’D: Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor and native of Ukraine, has been identified as one of the victims murdered in the deadly attack at a Chanukah event in Sydney, Australia. Kleytman had gone to Bondi Beach to take part in the annual Chanukah celebration when the massacre unfolded. His wife, Larisa Kleytman, spoke to The […]

Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, released a brief statement following the terrorist attack that took place earlier today in Australia.

Authorities confirm a person of interest is now in custody following yesterday’s shooting at Brown University. The shooting left two people dead and nine others injured, according to officials. Police say the investigation is ongoing, and additional details will be released as they are confirmed.

Earlier today, the IDF eliminated two Hezbollah terrorists in separate strikes in southern Lebanon within less than an hour. One was targeted in the Yater area for attempts to reestablish Hezbollah infrastructure, and another in Bint Jbeil, where he served as a local Hezbollah representative.

After four days of intensive searches, the body of a teenage boy from Bnei Brak was recovered from the Yarkon River on Sunday afternoon.

The search was launched after 19-year-old Eliyahu Abba Shaul, who had been missing since Wednesday, failed to return home. Police said that ZAKA volunteers located his body a short time ago as part of the ongoing efforts to find the missing youth.

Search operations had continued around the clock over the past several days, focusing on the Yarkon River area after the teenager’s bicycle and personal belongings were discovered nearby. That finding led police and rescue forces to concentrate their efforts along the riverbank and surrounding parkland.

Since then, large numbers of police officers, special units, and volunteer rescue organizations have been deployed to the scene. The operation included ground searches, water-based searches, and the use of specialized technological equipment.

Despite difficult conditions, search teams continued their efforts at night as well, assisted by advanced equipment and ZAKA’s diving unit, which operated along the river’s course and adjacent areas in an attempt to locate any clue that could shed light on the circumstances of the disappearance.

ZAKA officials said that after four consecutive days of intensive activity, the body of the missing teenager was found in Yarkon Park by volunteers from the organization’s special units.

The multi-day operation was carried out in full cooperation with Israel Police and the Fire and Rescue Service’s Lahava Unit. It included land searches, aerial scans using ZAKA’s drone unit, underwater searches along the riverbed, and the use of advanced sonar systems. The entire effort was coordinated from a dedicated command post established at the site.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday that one Israeli was killed and another Israeli was wounded in the deadly shooting attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia. Israel’s embassy in Australia and the Foreign Ministry’s department for Israelis in distress are accompanying the wounded man’s family, as he remains hospitalized at a local medical center.

An Israeli consul is expected to arrive at the hospital to assist the injured Israeli and provide support to his relatives.

The wounded man, Arsen Ostrovsky, an international human rights lawyer who recently relocated from Israel to Sydney to work with the local Jewish community, described scenes of terror and chaos as gunfire erupted around him and his family. Ostrovsky was photographed at the scene with his head bandaged and his face covered in blood.

Speaking to Australian television, Ostrovsky, who serves as chairman of the Australia–Israel and Jewish Affairs Council in Sydney, recounted the moments of the attack: “I was here with my family. It was a Hanukkah celebration. There were hundreds of people. There were children, there were elderly people. Families enjoying themselves. Kids at a festival, playing. And then suddenly, absolute chaos. There are guns, fire everywhere, people running. It was absolute chaos. We didn’t know what was happening, where the shots were coming from.”

“I saw blood flowing in front of me,” he continued. “I saw people being hit, I saw people falling to the ground. My only concern was, where are my kids? Where are my kids? Where is my wife? Where is my family?”

Ostrovsky noted that he had lived in Israel for the past 13 years and had arrived in Australia just two weeks ago. “I lived in Israel for the past 13 years,” he said. “We came here just two weeks ago to work with the Jewish community to fight antisemitism, to fight this bloodthirsty, raging hatred.”

Referring to the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, Ostrovsky added: “We’ve experienced worse things. We’ll get through this, and we’ll catch those who did this.”

When asked whether he saw the gunmen, Ostrovsky replied: “I did. I saw at least one gunman shooting, with what looked like a shotgun, firing randomly in all directions. I saw children falling to the floor, elderly people.”

“I never thought I would see something like this in Australia. Not in my lifetime. Especially not at Bondi Beach, especially not at this iconic place,” he said.

Speaking about his family, Ostrovsky added: “My children, my wife are safe, thank God. They’re okay. They managed to escape. But I didn’t know where they were. There is no greater fear, no greater terror, than not knowing where your family is. They’re okay. I’ll be okay.”

Bahraini peace activist Loay Alsharif also responded to the attack, referring to his wounded friend Ostrovsky. “Please pray for my brother Arsen Ostrovsky, who was injured in the terror attack in Australia. I’ve known Arsen for years, and I pray to God to grant him the same strength He granted Judah and the Maccabees against their enemies. To the terrorists behind this evil act: you will fail, just as Antiochus failed.”

Alsharif added: “I pray for my Jewish brothers in Australia who were at a horrific shooting carried out by terrorists on Chanukah. We will continue to speak out against terror and antisemitism. And we will always stand united against the forces of darkness that harm innocent lives.”

{Matzav.com}

In the wake of the deadly assault on a Jewish Chanukah gathering in Sydney, Israeli officials convened urgent security and strategic consultations to assess responsibility for the attack and determine who orchestrated the violence against the local Jewish community.

Israeli intelligence assessments have increasingly centered on Iran as the primary suspect. As more time passed following the massacre, officials said Israel’s evaluation grew firmer that Tehran played a direct role in the deadly incident.

At the same time, investigators are examining whether additional terrorist groups linked to or influenced by Iran may have been involved. These include Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba organization, which has ties to Al-Qaeda.

According to intelligence material shared with senior political figures, Iran has recently intensified efforts to smuggle weapons, construct terror networks, and establish online “incitement cells” via social media platforms, with the stated goal of striking Jewish targets around the world.

Israeli warnings about such threats were issued months ago, after assessments indicated that Iran was laying the groundwork for attacks on Jewish communities and institutions in Australia.

Background events in Australia have also informed Israel’s suspicions. In August, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly accused Iran of being behind two antisemitic attacks in the country and announced that diplomatic relations with Tehran would be severed in response.

At that time, Albanese stated that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had concluded that the Iranian government ordered arson attacks on Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food business in Sydney, in October 2024, and on the Adas Yisrael shul in Melbourne two months later.

Australian intelligence officials assessed that those attacks occurred amid a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in Sydney and Melbourne following the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, and that Iran sought to conceal its direct involvement in the operations.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH: Prime Minister Netanyahu: “On August 17, about four months ago, I sent Prime Minister Albanese of Australia a letter in which I gave him warning that the Australian government’s policy was promoting and encouraging antisemitism in Australia. I wrote: “Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire. It rewards Hamas […]

WATCH: Following the deadly terror attack on the Jewish community in Sydney this morning, President Herzog sent the following message to the Jewish community of Australia from the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

In a surprise to no one, Israel’s High Court of Justice unanimously (7–0) annulled the government’s decision to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, ruling the move was not legally justified. The court said the government relied on a rushed, newly created dismissal process instead of the long-established procedure. Baharav-Miara will remain in office, despite the […]

A United Airlines flight experienced an engine failure during takeoff from Dulles International Airport on Saturday before safely returning to the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said United flight 803 was traveling to Tokyo when the engine failed Saturday afternoon. The plane, a Boeing 777-200, safely returned to airport around 1:20 […]

The aftermath of the deadly attack at Bondi Beach has sparked sharp diplomatic criticism, with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee publicly rebuking Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over what he views as an inadequate response to the violence that claimed at least 12 lives during a Hanukkah celebration on the beachfront.

Huckabee reacted forcefully on social media after reviewing the prime minister’s remarks, describing the statement as “disgraceful” for what he said was a failure to clearly acknowledge the ideological and religious nature of the assault. He accused Albanese of engaging in a “politically correct omission,” arguing that sidestepping the antisemitic motive behind the attack weakens public understanding of the threat and minimizes the gravity of the crime.

In his official response, Prime Minister Albanese denounced the shooting as an “act of evil” and emphasized that his government remains committed to safeguarding all Australians, with particular attention to the Jewish community in the wake of the tragedy.

{Matzav.com}

A Muslim man is the hero civilian who was armed with nothing but his body amd charged a Sydney gunman and wrestled his weapon away. He has since been identified by his family as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old father of two. According to relatives, al Ahmed suffered two gunshot wounds to his arm during […]