Sydney’s Bondi Beach was meant to be a site of joy, not terror. On the first night of Hanukkah, a mass shooting at a Jewish festival left at least 16 people dead and 40 injured — a deliberate terrorist attack on Jews celebrating their faith. Australian officials condemned the violence as “evil antisemitism” and pledged unity against hatred.

But this did not come out of nowhere.

For years, Australia’s Jewish community has faced an escalating wave of antisemitic violence: synagogue firebombings, persistent graffiti, harassment, and assaults. In December 2024, the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed in an attack ruled terrorism. Since then, incidents have remained alarmingly high, creating a climate of fear that has become disturbingly normalized.

Australia’s political and diplomatic rhetoric has helped shape this environment. Canberra supported........

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