By Hank Russell
Local elected officials from both sides of the aisle spoke out against the violence that occurred over the weekend during a Hanukkah service in Australia.
According to the BBC, on December 14, two gunmen — Sajid Akram, 50, and his son, Naveed Akram, 24 — shot and killed 15 people during a Hanukkah service at Bondi Beach. Ten were injured, with six of them in critical condition. The two suspects were shot; Naveed was injured, while Sajid died of his wounds.
The outlet also reported that the gunmen were allegedly radicalized by Islamic State teachings, according to Labor Party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called the deadly shooting “an act of pure evil.”
Upon learning of the shooting, the U.S. State Department issued a statement. “The United States strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Hanukkah celebration hosted by Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi. As Prime Minister Albanese said, this was ‘an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism,” said spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
“As Jews around the world light Hanukkah candles tonight, they commemorate the triumph of light over darkness and the long history of Jewish resilience in the face of oppression,” Pigott said. “No community should have to fear publicly celebrating their faith and traditions due to the threat of extremist violence and terror. There can be no compromise with antisemitism – this scourge must be confronted and defeated.”
In Suffolk County, Ed Romaine, the county executive, announced that law enforcement is “monitoring developments” in response to the Bondi Beach attack. “While there are no threats locally, the department is in constant contact with its law enforcement partners,” he posted on Facebook. “As always, the department has stepped up patrols around religious institutions during the holidays and have now enhanced those efforts.”
Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) also spoke out against the violence in Australia, as well as the shooting at Brown University, in which two people were killed and nine were injured on December 13.
“Standing together, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught us that hatred cannot drive away hatred,” said Lavine, who is also president of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Jewish Legislators and a member of its National Board of Directors. “Only love can defeat hatred. Darkness cannot be driven away by more darkness. Only light can defeat darkness.”
“While the primitive events in Australia and Rhode Island, occurring on the 13th anniversary of Sandy Hook, will cause us feelings of despair, we must find strength in celebrating Chanukah as the Festival of Lights,” Lavine continued. “Like Christmas and Diwali, themselves festivals of light, that light must be our North Star. We must learn from these tragedies. If ever we needed light to shine all over the world, it is today. Americans of good faith must stand together to protect each other. That is the American way. It is the Jewish way. It is the way of all our great faiths.”
“I am absolutely heartbroken, outraged and sickened by the antisemitic mass shooting in Bondi Beach, Australia — a targeted, hate-fueled act of terror by murderers who targeted Jews as they celebrated the first night of Hanukkah,” said Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D-Plainview).
“As we mourn this senseless loss of life and pray for the full recovery of the victims who were wounded, the miracle of Hanukkah – and how Jews brought light into darkness through the re-dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem – resonates strongly,” Drucker continued. “In this time of immense grief, each of us can bring light into the world by redoubling our commitment to banishing the scourge of antisemitism from our society, and by celebrating and practicing our faith proudly and fearlessly during Hanukkah and all throughout the year. May the memory of all who perished forever be a blessing to their family, friends, and loved ones.”
Suffolk County GOP Chairman said on social media that the organization is “outraged by the growing wave of antisemitism that has manifested in this tragedy and in rising hate across Australia and around the world,” adding, “There is no place for hatred, bigotry, or violence in our society. We stand in unwavering solidarity with our friends of the Jewish faith, affirming that attacks on one community are an attack on us all. To our Jewish brothers and sisters — we mourn with you, we stand with you, and we will continue to fight against antisemitism and hatred in all its forms.“