Washington, D.C., December 16, 2025: The American Hindu Jewish Congress (AHJC) mourns with the Australian Jewish community.
On this third day of Hanukkah—a time meant to celebrate light, faith, and resilience— AHJC offers solace in our shared grief and our prayers for the innocent lives brutally taken and many others injured in an act of unspeakable hatred.
Arthur Kapoor, Chairman, AHJC, said “I agree with President Trump that the Bondi Beach massacre was a purely antisemitic attack. But such attacks are preventable with more vigilance on the re-emergence of ISIS terror threats that is well known.”
Dr Munr Kazmir, Vice Chairman of AHJC said “I condemn these barbaric attacks not only against the Jewish people, but against humanity itself. We mourn the victims, pray for the wounded, and stand in unwavering solidarity with the Jewish community of Sydney and Jewish communities around the world”.
Dr Kazmir further added” This tragedy did not occur in a vacuum. The warning signs were visible long before this attack. Antisemitic incidents across Australia have surged in recent years, while meaningful deterrence, enforcement, and protection lagged behind. The failure to confront this reality with the urgency it demanded emboldened extremists and left Jewish communities exposed. The devastating consequences of that failure are now heartbreakingly clear”.
Ankush Bhandari, AHJC policy director, said:“We know from Australian authorities that this was an ISIS-linked terror attack, that the perpetrators were on the terror watch list, that law enforcement was aware of their compiling a deadly cache of weapons through a legal license, and that this attack was preventable if these individuals were apprehended before they carried out the attack.” Mr. Bhandari added: “We condemn antisemitic hate and violence that de-humanizes because of ignorance, illiteracy, tropes and stereotypes. We expect that justice should not only be swift, but future attacks should be thwarted before they happen.”