In Solidarity with Bondi

Hi,

This one feels way too close to home, and I wanted to create a space where we can process this together.

As I write this, at least 16 people are dead after two men opened fire at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. With 40 injured, that number may rise. The dead include a 12-year-old girl and a Rabbi.

I woke up this morning and slowly absorbed the news. I've been thinking a lot about gun violence since publishing a story in August about a high school art teacher who quit because they were sick of mass shooter drills.

Here in the US there are just constant reminders that shooters exist. I was meant to interview a woman for an incredible fickle story yesterday, but they cancelled for a very un-fickle reason: A school shooting threat. "We were in a lock down for about an hour. It left me very frazzled and freaked out tbh", they typed.

Part of me always thinks this kind of gun violence is an American thing – but then something like Christchurch, New Zealand happens, and you realise the online brain rot hatred has travelled. Of course it has: racism and hatred spread via meme.

Then I woke up to the Bondi news, where two men with warped ideas opened fire just after 6.30pm last night. Because it's 2025, you can watch how this all played out from every angle. For me it felt almost unavoidable.

I saw fruit shop owner Ahmed Al Ahmed sneak up behind one of the gunmen – disarming him. According to a family member, he left the heroic encounter with a bullet in his arm, and another in his hand.

Ahmed disarmed the gunman without a gun – let that one sink in, America – no doubt saving lives. The coward gunman ran off, joining his fellow coward on a nearby bridge. Reports indicate they are father and son.

I watched as police shot one gunman, before shooting the other about a minute later. They dropped like rocks. One shooter is dead (age 50), the other (24) is in a critical condition. It was all being filmed by an incredibly steady hand from across the street, an incredibly thick Australian accent narrating in incredibly Australian vernacular. “F--kin’ Die c--t," followed by, "Fuck yeah!", followed by "Suck shit."

Just like that, it was over.

We don't know why the gunmen did what they did, but it's pretty clear they targeted a group of Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah. It's horrific – the largest mass shooting in Australia since 1996.

Of course, from here, things will get feral. And we need to stay measured, and sane.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the shooting, saying, "The Ministry affirms the State of Palestine’s full solidarity and support for the friendly nation of Australia, government and people, in this painful tragedy, reiterating its categorical rejection of all forms of violence, terrorism and extremism, which are contrary to human values ​​and moral principles, and to the teachings of all heavenly religions that call for peace, respect for human life and the rejection of hatred and extremism."

Over the coming weeks there will be a lot of people saying that criticism of the genocide in Gaza, and the rhetoric around it, has directly led to this terror attack on the Jewish community in Australia.

It's certainly what Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is saying to Australia's PM: "Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire [...] It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets."

You know what? I'd guess these two gunman didn't give a f--k about a genocide in Gaza. They're mindless antisemites, in every possible way. They're separate things. Separate issues. Criticizing the leadership in Israel and advocating for the people in Gaza is not antisemitic – but that's all we're going to be hearing about for a while.

Right now, our time should be spent in solidarity with the victims. It's a really dark day in Australia, and we can't stand for this shit.

David.