Albanese drowned out by jeers as Australians hold vigil for Bondi Beach massacre - Jerusalem Post Staff, Reuters

 

by Jerusalem Post Staff, Reuters

Australian PM Albanese was booed by the crowd on arrival, and later when the speaker mentioned his name during the memorial.

 

   

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was booed by sections of the crowd at a Bondi Beach vigil on Sunday night as thousands gathered to honor the survivors and the 15 people killed in the December 14 terror attack during a Hanukkah celebration. 

Australia marked a national Day of Reflection one week after the attack, with mourners observing a minute’s silence at 6:47 p.m. local time, the reported moment the shooting began, and candlelight events held across the country. 

ABC News reported that some attendees booed as Albanese arrived at Bondi, and that boos erupted again when he was acknowledged during the opening address by David Ossip, president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies.

 

When NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns is applauded and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is booed by the same crowd, it exposes a leadership failure: this isn’t about politics, but a personal reckoning over inaction on antisemitism.

For more than two years my community begged… pic.twitter.com/5HXx75gdLZ

— Sharri Markson (@SharriMarkson) December 21, 2025

The crowd, by contrast, cheered at the mention of New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and applauded former prime minister John Howard upon his arrival, according to The Guardian. 

Tens of thousands, including Albanese and other leaders, attended the memorial that was guarded by a heavy police presence, including snipers on rooftops and police boats in the waters.

A police sniper is seen on a roof as he secures the area during the memorial held for the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 21, 2025. (credit: SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Albanese was booed by the crowd on arrival, and later when the speaker mentioned his name during the memorial. He sat on the front row wearing a kippah, the traditional Jewish cap.

Albanese, under pressure from critics who say his center-left government has not done enough to curb a surge in antisemitism since the start of the war in Gaza, was not scheduled to speak at the event.

The government has said it has consistently denounced antisemitism over the last two years and passed legislation to criminalize hate speech. It expelled the Iranian ambassador earlier this year after accusing Tehran of directing two antisemitic arson attacks.

"We have lost our innocence....last week took our innocence," David Ossip, the president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies said in a speech to start the proceedings at Bondi.

"Like the grass here at Bondi was stained with blood, so, too, has our nation been stained. We have landed up in a dark place. But friends, Hanukkah teaches us that light can illuminate even the bleakest of places. A single act of courage, a single flame of hope, can give us direction and point the path forward."

Also present at the memorial was the father of Ahmed al Ahmed, hailed as the 'Bondi Hero' for wrestling a gun from one of the attackers.

Heavy security coverage

Security at the event was heavy, with ABC reporting crowd screening at entry points and police snipers positioned on rooftops overlooking the vigil.

Reuters also reported an increased police presence, including officers carrying long-arm firearms, as authorities urged Australians to light a candle in remembrance. 

Ossip used his remarks to back calls for a royal commission that would extend beyond the state level, arguing that the inquiry should include the Commonwealth, ABC reported. 

 

Jerusalem Post Staff, Reuters

Source: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880886

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