Messages of support from community leaders following the terrorist attack on the Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

We are updating this page with messages of support from community leaders as they are received. We have also received countless messages of support from ordinary Aus­trali­ans, which we are very grateful to receive, but there are too many to publish.

HM Charles III

My wife and I are appalled and saddened by the most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack on Jewish people attending the Chanukah cel­eb­ra­tion at Bondi Beach.

Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected so dread­fully, including the police officers who were injured while pro­tect­ing members of their community. We commend the police, emergency services and members of the public whose heroic actions no doubt prevented even greater horror and tragedy.

In times of hurt, Aus­trali­ans always rally together in unity and resolve. I know that the spirit of community and love that shines so brightly in Australia – and the light at the heart of the Chanukah Festival – will always triumph over the darkness of such evil.

Charles R

Governor-General

Tonight, Aus­trali­ans are in shock, distress and sadness watching the tragic events that have unfolded in Bondi. We have all witnessed terrible and heart­break­ing scenes and now know that many lives have been lost and many more injured. I speak on behalf of all Aus­trali­ans in express­ing my deepest con­dol­ences to everybody affected. It is par­tic­u­larly dis­tress­ing on the first night of Hanukkah, a time of peace. I know that this is a deeply dis­tress­ing time for the Jewish community and for all Aus­trali­ans.”

Aus­trali­ans have also witnessed extraordin­ary acts of heroism by so many today – brave members of the public, devoted first respon­ders including police officers, emergency services personnel, ambulance officers and the dedicated hospital teams who are now providing care to those injured.

Tonight, Aus­trali­ans across the country are in heart­break – par­tic­u­larly those closest to Bondi but in homes right across the country. Our thoughts are with all those impacted. In days ahead we will need to show care for one another and help everyone through this deeply traumatic event.

I join others in imploring everyone in Sydney to continue to follow the advice of author­it­ies, in par­tic­u­lar the police, as they deal with this terrible and complex situation.

Armenian National Committee

The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) unequi­voc­ally condemns the appalling act of terrorism that occurred at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, which has tra­gic­ally claimed the lives of 16 people so far and affected countless others in Sydney and across Australia.

The entire nation has been shaken by such senseless violence and callous disregard for human life. Such acts strike at the very fabric of our shared humanity and leave lasting pain across com­munit­ies.

We stand united in rejecting hatred, violence, and extremism in all its forms. No one should ever be targeted for their faith or ethnicity, including members of the Jewish-Aus­trali­an community who were marking Hanukkah, the Festival of Light. We stand in unwaver­ing solid­ar­ity with them and with all com­munit­ies facing hatred and intol­er­ance.

What we witnessed last night was a dark chapter in Aus­trali­an history, however, the enduring message of Hanukkah reminds us that light will overcome darkness, that good will prevail over evil, and that hope, resi­li­ence, and humanity will ulti­mately triumph.

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Those who have lost family members and friends, those who witnessed these horrific acts, and those in the sur­round­ing community who are strug­gling to com­pre­hend how such violence could occur here in Australia.

Australia’s mul­ti­cul­tur­al fabric is one of our greatest strengths, yet it is also fragile and must be protected. The Armenian-Aus­trali­an community remains steadfast in its com­mit­ment to defending, nurturing, and strength­en­ing this fabric every day, working to ensure it continues to prosper through mutual respect, under­stand­ing, and unity.

Bahai National Spiritual Assembly

Our Solid­ar­ity and Support

We are writing on behalf of the Aus­trali­an Baha’i community to share that we are deeply saddened and appalled by the dev­ast­at­ing act of terror that occurred yesterday at Bondi, as members of the Jewish community in New South Wales cel­eb­rated the first night of Chanukkah.

The Aus­trali­an Baha’i community stands with you. We offer our con­dol­ences on the heart­break­ing loss of life. Our
thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and com­munit­ies whose Rabbis and loved ones have been killed, and we hope for the full recovery of all those who have been injured.

Such appalling acts of violence and antisemitism have no place in our society. All Aus­trali­ans and all com­munit­ies
have the right to practice and celebrate their faith without fear, free from hatred or terror.

We acknow­ledge the immense pain, suffering, fear and distress that your entire community will be feeling at this time.

As your community grieves and processes this tragedy and begins the difficult work of healing and recovery, we
extend our love, support and solid­ar­ity. We are confident the Jewish community will respond with char­ac­ter­ist­ic
strength, resi­li­ence, hope and con­struct­ive engage­ment.

An attack on a faith community and its leaders, engaged in peaceful cel­eb­ra­tion of a religious festival, is an attack on us all. It will only reinforce our sacred com­mit­ment to work together with you and all well-wishers of humanity
towards a socially cohesive and inclusive society based on shared values of love, unity, peace and the oneness of
humanity.

This prayer by Bahá’u’lláh gives us hope that humanity can unite, and come together to serve alongside each other, to build vibrant com­munit­ies, free of violence and hatred:

“O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy
com­mand­ments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavour, and grant them strength to serve Thee.
O God! Leave them not to them­selves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by
Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord.”

Catholic Australia

The following statement can be attrib­uted to Aus­trali­an Catholic Bishops Con­fer­ence President, Arch­bish­op Timothy Costelloe SDB:

The violence and horror which descended upon Bondi on Sunday evening have shaken Aus­trali­ans to the core.

The loss of innocent lives is a tragedy beyond measure. The families and loved ones of those who have died have had their world shattered.

Many more people have suffered injuries, some of them very serious.

The twisted motives behind those who per­pet­rated these terrible acts are now clearly linked with the scourge of antisemitism.

This is a shocking and deeply dis­tress­ing reality which calls into question our own under­stand­ing of ourselves as Aus­trali­ans.

In a country which prides itself on its tolerance and open-hearted hos­pit­al­ity this blind prejudice and hatred points to a dark and destruct­ive stain in our society which threatens not just our Jewish brothers and sisters but, in fact, all of us.

We must redis­cov­er our con­vic­tion that nothing can ever justify this destruct­ive violence.

As our nation confronts this tragedy we must work hard to ensure that the jus­ti­fi­able anger we feel does not breed even more violence and hatred.

Our horror at what has happened must become the source of a determ­in­a­tion to turn our backs on all acts of violence and blind hatred.

Equally, the remark­able courage of the police and other first respon­ders, and indi­vidu­al acts of bravery as people sought to protect each other, are a timely reminder of what is best in our Aus­trali­an character.

The hearts of all the people of this nation go out to the families of those who have died and to all those who have been injured.

The prayers of all people of religious faith will accompany those who, in the days, weeks and months ahead will be strug­gling with the physical, psy­cho­lo­gic­al and spiritual con­sequences of Sunday evening’s awful events.

We entrust those who have died to the love and mercy of God, in praying for their family and friends and for all those who have suffered injuries of any kind.

We join with all those who condemn such terrible violence and plead with all Aus­trali­ans to reject any impulse towards hatred and violence and instead to recommit ourselves to being peace­makers in our families, amongst our friends and in our wider society.

Catholic Religious Australia

On behalf of Catholic Religious Australia (CRA), we write to express our profound sorrow for the violent
antisemitic attack on the Jewish community gathered at Bondi in cel­eb­ra­tion of the first night of Chanukah,
claiming many lives, leaving others injured and, no doubt, deeply trau­mat­ising to the entire Aus­trali­an Jewish
community.

We wish to assure you of our solid­ar­ity with the Aus­trali­an Jewish community and of our ongoing prayerful
support at this very difficult time. We are committed to standing against antisemitism and all forms of hatred,
as taught by our Catholic Church, and to con­tinu­ing to foster a fraternal dialogue and friend­ship between our
two tra­di­tions. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we or our con­greg­a­tions can be of assist­ance to you or
members of the Jewish community in any way.

As you continue the days of Chanukah, we stand with you in remem­ber­ing the God of light who drives out
darkness.

Croatian Australian Community Council

The Croatian Aus­trali­an Community Council is deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred in
Bondi on Sunday 14^th December 2O25 during what was to have been a cel­eb­ra­tion about Chanukah. Our
thoughts and con­dol­ences extend to the families and friends that have lost loved members of the
community. Our thoughts and prayers to the those who were injured, the bravery of those in the
community and first respon­ders who assisted, and allthose affected. We stand in solid­ar­ity with Jewish
Aus­trali­ans and with every community impacted by this senseless act of violence.

Violence, terrorism, antisemitism and extremism have no place in Aus­trali­an society, We unequi­voc­ally
condemn hatred in all its forms and reject attempts to divide our community through fear and
intim­id­a­tion.

ln July 2025, the Australia Gov­ern­ment was presented a plan by Special Envoy Ms Jillian Segal AO to
combat antisemitism that recom­men­ded key actions.

These key actions, whilst some may appear complex, require urgent practical steps that can be
imple­men­ted that not only support the chal­lenges con­front­ing antisemitism, but also provides a
framework for address­ing hatred against any community whether based on racial and religious hatred,
or other extreme threats that may be directed to an indi­vidu­al, a community or to public safety.

Croatian Aus­trali­an Community Council supports the key actions outlined in the plan and calls upon the
gov­ern­ment to take immediate and urgent steps to implement practical measures that support the
safety of our Jewish Aus­trali­an community and all our com­munit­ies.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

Statement of the Arch­bish­op of Australia and the Holy Eparchial Synod on the Terrorist Attack in Sydney

His Eminence Arch­bish­op Makarios of Australia condemns the terrorist attack at Bondi in Sydney which, according to the pre­lim­in­ary findings of the author­it­ies, resulted in the death of twelve people and the injury of at least twenty-nine others. His Eminence stresses that “every act that violates the sanctity of human life is rep­re­hens­ible, even more so when it under­mines our peaceful coex­ist­ence, which con­sti­tutes a fun­da­ment­al achieve­ment of Aus­trali­an society.”

The full statement of His Eminence Arch­bish­op Makarios of Australia is as follows:

“I express my profound grief over the mass-casualty terrorist attack in Sydney, which occurred during a gathering for the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.

Every act that violates the sanctity of human life is rep­re­hens­ible, even more so when it under­mines our peaceful coex­ist­ence, which con­sti­tutes a fun­da­ment­al achieve­ment of Aus­trali­an society. We are all obliged to struggle res­ol­utely against every form of intol­er­ance, fan­at­icism, and violence, and to proclaim unequi­voc­ally that whoever kills while invoking God does not serve their faith but betrays it. There can be no sanctity in murder.

On behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod and the plenitude of the faithful of our Holy Arch­diocese, I unequi­voc­ally condemn the heinous crime per­pet­rated today in Sydney; I pray for the repose of the souls of the victims; and express our unwaver­ing solid­ar­ity with their grieving families and loved ones, as well as with the entire Jewish Community. Our thoughts are also with those who have been injured and are receiving medical care, to whom we offer our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery.”

Hindu Council of Australia

No Place for Terror in Australia

We are shocked and horrified by the mass shooting at Bondi Beach during the first day of Hanukkah cel­eb­ra­tions. This is unpre­ced­en­ted.

Targeting the Jewish community gathered peace­fully for cel­eb­ra­tion of a sacred festival is a heinous and utterly cruel terror-driven act that strikes at the very heart of the Aus­trali­an values.

This is not merely an attack on the Jewish community it is an assault on the freedom of faith, public safety, and social harmony of our society. This attack must be condemned by everyone unequi­voc­ally.

An incident of such magnitude cannot be just a couple of guys picking up guns and shooting. There has to be more to it. We urge the Federal and the NSW Gov­ern­ment and all relevant author­it­ies to identify all of the per­pet­rat­ors and bring them to justice. People behind such cowardly attack must be fully exposed, their networks dis­mantled, and funding sources extin­guished.

Any extremist network behind this heinous attack, domestic or inter­na­tion­al must be erad­ic­ated without hes­it­a­tion. Australia must remain a nation where people can celebrate their faith without fear, intim­id­a­tion, or terror.

Our heartfelt con­dol­ences go out to the families of the victims, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to those who are injured. To the Jewish community and all who are grieving, we stand with you in solid­ar­ity.

Om Shanti

Korean Society of Sydney NSW

On behalf of the Korean Society of Sydney and the Korean community, I extend our deepest con­dol­ences and heartfelt sympathy to the Jewish Community in Australia following the tragic and dev­ast­at­ing shooting at Bondi.

We were pro­foundly saddened to learn that this heinous act of violence occurred during a Hanukkah gathering — a moment intended for joy, remem­brance, and community — and resulted in the loss of innocent lives and serious injuries to many others. Such an act, driven by hatred and intol­er­ance, has shaken not only the Jewish community, but all Aus­trali­ans who value peace, diversity, and human dignity.

As fellow members of Australia’s immigrant com­munit­ies, we feel this tragedy with par­tic­u­lar gravity. Both our com­munit­ies have con­trib­uted to this nation through resi­li­ence, hard work, and a deep com­mit­ment to shared demo­crat­ic values. We under­stand the vul­ner­ab­il­ity that minority and migrant com­munit­ies can feel when acts of hate and violence strike so close to home. In this moment of grief, we stand with you not only in sympathy, but in solid­ar­ity — as neigh­bours, as migrants, and as Aus­trali­ans united against hatred.

The Korean community in New South Wales unequi­voc­ally condemns antisemitism and all forms of violence, dis­crim­in­a­tion, and extremism. We believe that the strength of Australia lies in its mul­ti­cul­tur­al fabric, and that unity across faiths, cultures, and back­grounds is essential to ensuring the safety and dignity of all com­munit­ies.

At this solemn time, we honour the memory of those who lost their lives and extend our sincere prayers and wishes for the recovery of the injured. Please know that the Korean community stands alongside the Jewish community as you mourn, heal, and seek justice.

Please accept our deepest con­dol­ences and our unwaver­ing support.

Australian Kurdish Society

On behalf of Aus­trali­an Kurdish community, we extend our deepest sympathy and heartfelt con­dol­ences to the Jewish community following the recent terrorist attack.

We are pro­foundly saddened by the loss of innocent lives and the suffering caused by this senseless act of violence. Terrorism has no place in our world. It targets humanity itself, seeking to divide com­munit­ies through fear and hatred but it will never succeed in breaking our shared values of dignity, peace and coex­ist­ence.

As a nation that has also endured the pain of violence and injustice, the Kurdish people stand in solid­ar­ity with you in these moments. We under­stand grief, fear, and the resi­li­ence required in days like these. Our hearts are with you.

We condemn all forms of terrorism, antisemitism, and violence against Jewish com­munit­ies.
We reaffirm our com­mit­ment to unity, mutual respect, and the pro­tec­tion of all com­munit­ies regard­less of faith, culture or back­ground.

During this difficult time, our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire Jewish community. May strength, healing and peace prevail.

With solid­ar­ity and respect.

Federation of Democratic Kurdish Society – Australia

FDKS‑A Condemns Barbaric and Terrorist Attacks on the Jewish Community at Bondi Beach During
Hanukkah

The Fed­er­a­tion of Demo­crat­ic Kurdish Society – Australia (FDKS‑A) strongly and unequi­voc­ally condemns the
barbaric and terrorist attacks against members of Australia’s Jewish community during the Hanukkah
festival on Sunday, 14 December 2025, at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

These horrific acts of violence, carried out during a sacred time of cel­eb­ra­tion and reflec­tion, are an attack
on the Jewish community and a direct assault on the values of peace, diversity, and mutual respect that
underpin Aus­trali­an society. Targeting people because of their faith or identity is rep­re­hens­ible and must
never be tolerated.

FDKS‑A stands in full solid­ar­ity with our Jewish Community across Australia. We extend our deepest
con­dol­ences to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this hateful act. The Kurdish community
knows too well the pain caused by extremism, and we reject it in all its forms.

Antisemitism, hate, and extremism have no place in Australia. Our mul­ti­cul­tur­al nation is built on the
principle that all people have the right to live freely and safely, without fear of violence or intim­id­a­tion.
We call on the relevant author­it­ies to take decisive and trans­par­ent action — not only to bring the direct
per­pet­rat­ors to justice, but also to expose and dismantle those who plan, incite, and mas­ter­mind such
atro­cit­ies. It is vital to unmask and hold account­able the indi­vidu­als and networks that fuel hatred and
violence within our com­munit­ies.

FDKS‑A urges political leaders, community organ­isa­tions, and all Aus­trali­ans to stand united against
antisemitism and all forms of racism. Only through solid­ar­ity, vigilance, and justice can we protect our
shared future and ensure that such acts are never repeated.

Australia must remain a place where diversity is cel­eb­rated and where every community can live in safety
and dignity.

Sabian Mandean Association of Australia

On behalf of the Mandaean community in Australia, we extend our deepest con­dol­ences and heartfelt solid­ar­ity to the Aus­trali­an Jewish community, and all those affected by the tragic attack in Bondi.

We are pro­foundly saddened by this act of anti-Semitic violence, which struck during a sacred time of prayer and
Hanukkah cel­eb­ra­tion. Our hearts are with the bereaved families, the wounded, and the Jewish community affected by this painful tragedy. We stand firm in our con­vic­tion that hatred and violence must never be allowed to divide our com­munit­ies.

In this time of sorrow, we stand in solid­ar­ity to reaffirm our com­mit­ment to unity, peace, and mutual respect among all faiths and cultures. Hate and extremism have no place in our society, and together we work to ensure that com­pas­sion and under­stand­ing prevail across our nation.

The Mandaean community expresses its unwaver­ing support and fervent prayers for healing, resi­li­ence, and peace.

May the memory of those lost be a blessing and a source of peace, and may the bonds of solid­ar­ity forged during these chal­len­ging days provide strength to all who mourn.

If there are inter­faith vigils, community support ini­ti­at­ives, or practical ways we can assist, please know that we stand ready to par­ti­cip­ate and help.

Sikh National Council

National Sikh Organ­isa­tion Condemns Bondi Shootings and Stands in Solid­ar­ity with Victims and Com­munit­ies

The National Sikh Organ­isa­tion (NSO) unequi­voc­ally condemns the horrific shootings in Bondi and expresses its deepest solid­ar­ity with the victims, their families, and all affected com­munit­ies.

“These acts of violence have no place in our society. Those respons­ible must be held fully account­able and face the full force of the law,” said the NSO lead­er­ship.

NSO acknow­ledges the pain, fear, and distress felt across the community and extends heartfelt com­pas­sion and support to all who are grieving. The organ­isa­tion also recog­nises the wider impact such violence has on mul­ti­cul­tur­al com­munit­ies, who may feel unsafe and vul­ner­able in public spaces.

“This is a moment for all Aus­trali­ans — including the Sikh community — to stand together in unity, com­pas­sion, and solid­ar­ity, rejecting violence in all its forms and reaf­firm­ing our shared com­mit­ment to peace, safety, and mul­ti­cul­tur­al harmony,” the statement continued.

The National Sikh Organ­isa­tion will continue to work closely with gov­ern­ment, inter­faith partners, and community leaders to strengthen safety, resi­li­ence, and social cohesion across Australia.

St Vincent de Paul Society

I write with a sorrowful heart on behalf of the 45,000 Members and volun­teers of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia to express our sorrow that such a hor­rendous crime could take place in our country.

Today our prayers and thoughts are with the victims of the Bondi shooting, their loved ones and com­munit­ies, our first respon­ders, those brave citizens who stepped in to protect others and all those affected by the terror that unfolded last night.

I want to stand in solid­ar­ity alongside all people of good will to send a very strong, clear and loud message to our Jewish friends and fellow citizens that you are part of us. You have always been and will continue to be welcome across all our local com­munit­ies. Like every Aus­trali­an, every Jewish person is a valuable member of our Aus­trali­an community.

We pray for our leaders and for our country. Our trust is with them to comfort those who mourn and to address the evilness that has crept in and hides within our community, seeking to divide us. In times of such deep sorrow, we are reminded of our shared humanity, the power of com­pas­sion and the need to care kindly for one another.

May God’s healing presence bring comfort to all who are grieving and peace to our com­munit­ies.

Mark Gaetani, National President, St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia