Israeli overseas minister urges Jews to ‘come home’ after Bondi Beach bloodbath | EUROtoday

Israel’s overseas minister has referred to as on Jews dwelling in Western nations to maneuver to Israel, saying Jewish communities worldwide are not secure, days after 15 individuals had been killed in an assault on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.

Speaking at a candle-lighting ceremony marking the ultimate day of Hanukkah, Gideon Saar stated antisemitism had reached some extent the place Jews had been being focused throughout a number of nations.

“Jews have the right to live in safety everywhere. But we see and fully understand what is happening, and we have a certain historical experience,” he stated. “Today, Jews are being hunted across the world.”

Addressing Jewish communities in particular nations by title, Mr Saar added: “Today I call on Jews in England, Jews in France, Jews in Australia, Jews in Canada, Jews in Belgium: come to the Land of Israel! Come home!”

The remarks got here one week after gunmen opened fireplace at a Jewish competition on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 individuals aged between 10 and 87 and injuring dozens extra.

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Australian authorities have stated the 14 December assault was impressed by the ideology of the jihadist group Isis.

One suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 15 counts of homicide and 40 counts of inflicting hurt with intent to homicide. His father, Sajid Akram, was shot lifeless by police on the scene.

Mr Saar stated Israelis had been “waiting for you here with open arms, with love, in the true home of the Jewish people”, urging households to go away nations he stated had didn’t include antisemitism. “Why raise your children in this atmosphere?” he stated. “The time has come.”

Israeli leaders have repeatedly linked the rise in antisemitic assaults abroad to the struggle in Gaza, which started after Hamas carried out an unprecedented assault on Israel on 7 October 2023. On Tuesday, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, urged Western governments to do extra to guard Jewish residents.

“I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide,” Mr Netanyahu stated in a video tackle.

In October, Mr Saar accused British authorities of failing to behave in opposition to what he referred to as a “toxic wave of antisemitism” after an assault exterior a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day within the Jewish calendar, during which two individuals had been killed and 4 injured.

Under Israel’s 1950 Law of Return, any Jewish individual worldwide has the fitting to immigrate to Israel – a course of referred to as aliyahwhich means “ascent” in Hebrew – and obtain citizenship. The legislation additionally extends to people with no less than one Jewish grandparent, a provision launched to mirror Nazi-era racial legal guidelines that focused individuals past practising Jews.

In Australia, the Bondi bloodbath has triggered nationwide mourning and political fallout. More than 10,000 individuals gathered beneath heavy police safety at Bondi Beach on Sunday night to mark per week for the reason that assault. Prime minister Anthony Albanese, former prime ministers John Howard and Scott Morrison, and governor-general Sam Mostyn attended the commemoration.

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“This has to be the nadir of antisemitism in our country,” stated David Ossip, president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies. “This has to be the moment when light starts to eclipse the darkness.” Mr Albanese was booed when Mr Ossip acknowledged his presence, whereas opposition chief Sussan Ley was cheered.

Mr Netanyahu has sharply criticised Mr Albanese, saying Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state earlier this yr “pours fuel on the antisemitic fire”.

Senior figures in Israel have sought to hyperlink requires Palestinian statehood and criticism of Israel’s army marketing campaign in Gaza with rising antisemitism globally.

Australia formally recognised Palestine in September, following comparable strikes by the UK and Canada, as a part of long-standing bipartisan assist for a two-state answer.

The difficulty has change into more and more contentious domestically. Bridget McKenzie, deputy chief of the Nationals, accused the Albanese authorities of getting “failed Jewish Australians” and claimed recognition of Palestine had contributed to rising antisemitism, arguing that “to hate Israel is to hate Jews”.

Sunday’s commemoration featured tributes to the victims, with photos projected onto massive screens and the music Waltzing Matilda sung in honour of the youngest youngster killed.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-born immigrant hailed as a hero for disarming one of many attackers earlier than being shot, despatched a message from his hospital mattress. “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted. Today I stand with you, my brothers and sisters,” he wrote. His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, was invited to mild a candle on the menorah.

Australia noticed a nationwide Day of Reflection, with flags flying at half-mast and authorities buildings illuminated in yellow. At 6.47pm, the second the capturing started, individuals throughout the nation noticed a minute’s silence. Television and radio broadcasts additionally paused.

The federal authorities has introduced a evaluate of legislation enforcement and intelligence responses, whereas state and nationwide leaders have pledged to tighten already strict gun legal guidelines. Sajid Akram legally owned six firearms, together with the weapons used within the assault. The New South Wales parliament was reconvened on Monday for a two-day debate on new hate speech and gun laws.

Alex Ryvchin, co-chief govt of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, stated households of the victims felt “tragically, unforgivably let down” by what he described as authorities failures to curb antisemitism for the reason that Gaza struggle started.

The Bondi assault was the deadliest mass capturing in Australia since 35 individuals had been killed in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996 – an occasion that led to sweeping nationwide gun reforms.