On December 14, 2025, there was an act of terror that was aimed towards a group of Jewish people on Bondi beach who were celebrating Hanukkah. The attack killed 16 people including the gunman and injured many others. Who is to blame?
Bondi beach is located in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, in Australia. Around 2.6 to 2.9 million people go to the beach every year, which makes it the most popular in Australia. It stretches about 4 miles and creates an amazing environment for surfers. There are lifeguard stands that stretch the whole beach making it safer for everyone who is in the water. The Bondi Icebergs is a pool lifted up above the ocean on rocks and Olympic sized with a great view of the turquoise Pacific. Behind the beach is a lively town culture with many shops and restaurants. A lot of fame has come from a reality show based on the lifeguards called Bondi Rescue.
Every year, when Hanukkah begins, many Jewish people gather on and around Bondi beach to see the lighting of the Menorah which is the candle piece for Hanukkah with 9 candles. The one that is seen being lit is over 5 feet tall. This gathering has many different celebrations and is just a good way to get the Jewish community of New South Wales to meet together and celebrate.
There were 2 gunmen, one was a licensed owner in Australia, and a younger man who had come from the Philippines as an ISIS member. The 2 terrorists went onto a footbridge that overlooked Archer Park, right behind the beach, and shot from there. The son remained on the bridge, but when his father went off to chase after civilians. A man named Ahmed al-Ahmed ran up to the shooter and took the gun from him as another man threw rocks at him. He ran back to the bridge and was soon shot by police. The younger shooter remained for a bit longer but surrendered to the police.
Ahmed al-Ahmed quickly became a hero, protecting the community from more deaths. He was hospitalized from injuries sustained in the altercation but is stable. Being a hero in Australia as a Syrian visitor, the prime minister of Australia visited him to thank him for the good service that he had done.
Gun laws are much stricter in Australia than in the United States. Guns are still legal but require a much more thorough licensing process. The gun license also needs to be renewed every few years. From July 2023 to June 2024 there were .09 gun deaths per 100,000 people that lived in Australia. This is as opposed to the U.S. rate of 13.7 per 100,000. This overall makes it so that it is much safer generally in the country.
