From Bondi Beach shooting to Melbourne firebombing: A look at 6 recent antisemitic attacks that shook Australia

Australia was shaken on Sunday evening after a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach tat left ten people dead, including the suspected shooter, and around thirteen others wounded during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. New South Wales police have confirmed that two people were taken into custody, one of the shooters was among the dead. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as 'shocking and distressing', adding that “emergency responders are on the ground and working to save lives”. Bondi Beach, one of the world’s most famous beaches, is typically crowded with locals and tourists, particularly on weekend evenings, making the attack particularly alarming.

The attack has also been interpreted as a reflection of rising antisemitism in Australia. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar wrote on X: “These are the results of the anti-Semitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the anti-Semitic and inciting calls of ‘Globalise the Intifada’ that were realised today.” Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also remarked on the tragedy, saying, “When antisemitic hatred is tolerated and threats are downplayed, attacks become inevitable.” Australia has experienced a string of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars since the beginning of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023, says Reuters, here is a list of all the major recent anti-sematic attacks

The year 2024 saw a series of antisemitic incidents across Australia. On May 25, Australia’s largest Jewish school in Melbourne was targeted with antisemitic graffiti. The attack was condemned by multiple human rights organisations, highlighting the rising concern over hate crimes in the country.

On October 13, antisemitic graffiti was left at a Jewish bakery in Sydney. A note accompanying the vandalism warned the owner to 'be careful'. This attack also reflected a growing pattern of targeted threats against Jewish businesses in urban areas.

The recent beach shooting in Bondi is nothing new, Bondi has a history of anti-sematic attacks since the beginning Gaza war. In 2024, string of attacks followed in Bondi, Sydney. On October 17, the front door of Curly Lewis Brewing Company was torched. Three days later, a neighbouring kosher deli, Lewis' Continental Kitchen, was also set alight (HRLC).

In December 2024, the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne suffered a significant arson attack. One worshipper was injured, and later the Australian authorities classified the incident as a terrorist act. Intelligence reports from ASIO indicated that the Iranian government had directed this attack and another targeting a kosher business in October 2024.

January saw a number of incidents against jews. A Man was charged after he allegedly threatened worshippers near the Chabad North Shore synagogue in Sydney’s north. Later that month, Allawah Synagogue in Sydney's south graffitied with swastikas, according to Reuters. A Childcare centre was also set alight and graffitied in Sydney’s east.

Two nurses in a Sydney hospital had been suspended from work as they threatened to kill Jewish patients and refused to treat them in a video on TikTok. This triggering an investigation by police.

According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), Australia recorded 1,654 antisemitic incidents from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, approximately five times the annual average before the October 2023 Hamas attack, says Times of Israel.