Amidst the tragic aftermath of a terror attack that claimed 15 lives during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, Sydney, an Israeli official has voiced criticism over Australia’s handling of rising antisemitism. Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, expressed his concerns, suggesting that Australian authorities should have anticipated such an incident.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Chikli highlighted a concerning surge in antisemitic activities in Australia following the attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He pointed out that the country has become a breeding ground for such hostility, evidenced by protests where participants shouted antisemitic slogans and resorted to violence.

Chikli referenced a protest from August on Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge, where demonstrators brandished flags supporting Hamas, ISIS, and other terrorist groups while chanting slogans like “Globalize the intifada.” He believes such displays contributed to the atmosphere that culminated in the Bondi Beach attack.

“The prime minister described it as a demonstration of unity,” Chikli remarked. “However, the leadership failed to recognize the significant impact of words and the dangers of incitement. There was a complete lack of government action and condemnation.”

Chikli’s comments came during the Light Against Terror: Hanukkah Memorial event at the Chabad of Bondi Synagogue in Sydney, where he was joined by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The event served as a poignant reminder of the need for vigilance against rising antisemitic sentiments.

“The writing was on the wall,” he added. “It was not a surprise. We knew that it was going to happen, this way or another, there was going [to] be violence.”

Since the attack, which claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor, among others, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has moved to tighten the country’s already strong gun laws. In addition to those killed, dozens more were wounded. 

“The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” Albanese said Monday after meeting with his National Cabinet. “If we need to toughen these up, if there’s anything we can do, I’m certainly up for it.”

The focus on gun control is an attempt to bypass the real issue, said Chikli. 

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attend a press conference at NSW Police headquarters, following a deadly shooting incident during a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Dec. 16, 2025. (Hollie Adams/Reuters)

“It’s inconvenient for this government, who was very supportive of these pro-Palestinian demonstrations, to say it loud and clear that we have a problem of jihadist violence of radical Islam,” he said. “I’ve never heard the prime minister of Australia even using the words radical Islam. It seems to be beyond his capabilities to just say the words radical Islam.

“It’s not the shotgun who killed these innocent people. It is the man behind it,” he added.

Albanese’s office referred Fox News Digital to a Wednesday news conference in which he talked about terrorism. 

“People who have this perversion of Islam that leads them to support Islamic State, and to have a view that somehow there is some reward for them,” he said. “There is not. They are evil. We need to make sure that we do whatever is within our powers. Now, that means education. It means as well, stamping out, calling out evil when we see it. And we’ll continue to do so, not just as a government, but as a nation as well.”

In a podcast interview that aired the same day, Albanese said the suspects linked to the attack were motivated by “the sort of ideology of the Islamic State.”

“There were flags present in the back of their vehicle that they drove to Bondi in order to cause harm,” he said. “This is a perverse ideology, a terrorist ideology that does not respect human life, and that is antisemitic in character, but anti-humanity as well.” 

Rabbi Yossi Friedman speaks to people gathering at a flower memorial by the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, following Sunday’s shooting in Sydney.  (Mark Baker/AP Photo)

Dionne Taylor, the communications manager for the Australia/Israel Jewish Affairs Council, previously told Fox News Digital that the government was warned about the potential for violence against Jews. 

“It started with hate speech,” she said. “Then graffiti. Then public demonstrations. Then firebombing synagogues, preschools, people’s homes, people’s cars. And now murder.”

She said Jewish leaders and community representatives repeatedly raised alarms with state and federal officials, warning that inaction would lead to bloodshed. Taylor pointed to formal submissions and a detailed report produced by Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, which she said was acknowledged by the government but never implemented.

Chikli, who has visited Australia since the attack and has attended the funerals for the victims, compared the Australian leadership to the Biden administration, which was criticized by some who said it failed to call out Islamic extremism in favor of woke ideology. 

Israeli Minister For Diaspora Affairs and Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli speaks during the Light Against Terror: Hanukkah Memorial event at Chabad of Bondi Synagogue on Wednesday in Sydney. (George Chan/Getty Images)

On the opposite end, he noted that the Trump administration has pressured American universities to address antisemitism and has moved to revoke the visas for foreign students who participate in anti-Israel demonstrations and foment radical movements. 

“The Biden administration is similar in terms of ideology to the current leadership here in Australia – progressive, woke, weak leadership,” Chikli said. “Simple as that, with zero capability of addressing the threat of radical Islam and zero actions.”

A woman kneels and prays at a flower memorial to shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, a day after a shooting. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)

He also noted that he hadn’t seen current Australian officials at the funerals for the victims.