The horrific attack on Jewish people at Bondi Beach in Sydney yesterday felt tragically familiar to Jewish communities worldwide. This cold-blooded murder follows the antisemitic terror attack in Manchester just two months ago, creating a devastating pattern of violence that seems unending.
A Pattern of Violence and a Failure to Act
Since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, synagogues across five continents have been burned. A common, depressing theme in responses from Jewish leaders to both the Manchester and Sydney atrocities is that the community had seen it coming. In the wake of the Manchester attack, and now echoed by Australian Jews after Bondi, the sentiment is the same: 'None of us were surprised.'
Jewish communities often act as the canary in the coalmine during periods of economic and political stress, when populism rises and democracy is threatened. The wider context is a sustained and unrelenting rise in antisemitic incidents, with record numbers recorded after the October 7 attacks two years ago. With two major attacks in quick succession, governments can no longer plead ignorance. Warm words of condemnation are insufficient; immediate, tangible action is required.
Urgent Need for a Robust Extremism Strategy
The UK Government must urgently deliver a revamped strategy for tackling extremism. The case of the Heaton Park synagogue terrorist on Yom Kippur, and the suspected father-and-son duo in the Bondi attack, prove that radicalisation is a process, not a sudden event, and that this poison can spread through generations.
Every day, particularly online, young people are being radicalised. Authorities must work faster to trace the sources of inspiration. A new strategy must build on the Prevent programme but learn from its failings. It needs teeth, holding religious leaders who spread hate accountable and delivering education at source to vulnerable youth. It must also address non-violent extremism, which creates a permissive environment for violence.
A Whole-Society Failure to Address Hate
The responsibility does not lie with government alone. A whole-society approach is needed, where every industry and employer takes responsibility for addressing anti-Jewish racism. Regulators have been found wanting:
- The General Medical Council (GMC) was criticised by Health Secretary Wes Streeting for failing to adequately understand or address antisemitism.
- Ofcom has been accused of lacking ambition in tackling online harms.
- The Electoral Commission must do more to ensure elections are safe and free from intimidation amid heightened tensions.
In cultural spaces, extremists are being platformed, such as when Piers Morgan hosted far-right agitator Nick Fuentes, who described Hitler as 'very cool'. While Morgan may have 'won' the debate, it normalises bigotry.
Parliament must also lead by example. In recent years, MPs and peers have invoked antisemitic conspiracy theories, engaged in Holocaust inversion, and shared platforms with antisemites. The febrile debate on Gaza has seen misinformation spread in the Chamber, and the disproportionate focus on Israel over domestic issues like the NHS is alarming.
Where Parliament leads, society follows. At marches across the UK, including the day after October 7 and after the Manchester attack, antisemitic banners and chants have been inadequately condemned, leaving Jews feeling unsafe and compelled to hide their identity.
Tackling antisemitism requires leadership, not platitudes. While messages of solidarity after Manchester and Sydney are welcome, what is needed now is zero tolerance demonstrated through practical, urgent action. The genie is out of the bottle, and putting this in the 'too hard' box is no longer an option.
