Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News following the Hanukkah party massacre in Sydney, in which 16 people were murdered and dozens injured.
“This is a difficult and shocking event, but we cannot say we were surprised,” said Sofer, noting that he visited Australia about a month and a half ago, touring Melbourne and Sydney and meeting with leaders of the Jewish community. Even then, he sensed that “beneath the surface there was a feeling of insecurity.”
Sofer added that since that visit, he has carried with him a clear sense of deterioration: “The processes we see in France and England are also reaching Australia. Antisemitism, which has existed for years, has reared its head.”
Regarding the future of the community, he emphasized that the State of Israel must demand security for Jews worldwide. “Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, but it must also know how to protect, to the extent possible, all Jews across the globe.”