The Bondi Beach massacre and the rise of antisemitic violence

Australia is reeling after its deadliest mass shooting in decades, in which gunmen opened fire on Jewish people gathered for a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in Sydney. At least 16 people have been killed – among them a 10-year-old and a Holocaust survivor. The massacre has triggered a reckoning in Australia and beyond.

While some are asking how this horror could have happened, others believe an attack like this was grimly inevitable after a string of antisemitic incidents in Australia in the past few years.

In today’s episode, we speak to the BBC’s Religion Editor Aleem Maqbool and the ABC’s Hamish Macdonald to explore why antisemitism has surged since October 7th 2023, and why many Jewish communities feel their governments aren’t doing enough to keep them safe.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Lucy Pawle

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Rabbi Yossi Freidman at a memorial for shooting victims at Sydney's Bondi Beach. Mark Baker /AP