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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced criticism while attending an event to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting on Sunday.
An estimated 10,000 mourners gathered at Bondi Beach to commemorate the victims, including Albanese and various Australian politicians and members of the Jewish community. David Ossip, who serves as President of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, commented on Albanese’s appearance in front of the crowd and received a standing ovation.
“This is the pinnacle of anti-Semitism in our country,” Ossip said. “This will be the moment when the light begins to eclipse the darkness.”
Meanwhile, the crowd cheered at the mention of opposition leader Sussan Ley. Ley has said that the coalition government under his leadership will reverse the Albany government’s decision to recognize the Palestinian state.
Families mourn loss of loved ones in Bondi Beach terror attack: ‘Words cannot describe the pain’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, center, and his wife Jodie Hayden, second from left, arrive for a memorial for the victims of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach on December 21, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Izhar Khan/Getty Images)
The tense response comes as Jewish leaders and Israeli officials criticized the Albany government for ignoring warning signs of Australia’s growing anti-Semitism in the months before the Bondi Beach attack.
Terror suspect who survived deadly attack in Australia charged
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted a letter he sent to Albanese earlier this year when the latter’s government announced it was recognizing Palestinian statehood. He argued that the move “adds fuel to the fire of anti-Semitism.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Albanese’s handling of anti-Semitism. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Netanyahu said on the day of the attack, “Your government did nothing to stop the spread of anti-Semitism in Australia. You did nothing to stop the cancer cells growing inside your country. You took no action. You allowed the disease to spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews that we saw today.”
Australia’s counter-terrorism police detained 7 people as the country laid to rest its youngest victim on Bondi Beach
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The December 14 attack left 15 people dead and dozens hospitalized. The shooters were a father and son and the father died in the attack. The son, Naved Akram, 24, emerged from a coma after recovering from serious injuries and is facing murder and terrorism charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
