Following the deadly terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney during Hanukkah celebrations, Australian journalist Erin Molan, a prominent Jewish advocate, described the shock and fear she felt hearing gunshots from her own home, yet said she was not surprised by the attack. “There was never any surprise,” she said. On the balcony with her little girl, her first thought was that the violence was “more than likely targeted at the Jewish community, which is such a sad first reaction to have.” When that suspicion was confirmed, it was “heartbreaking, but not surprising at all, unfortunately.”
Molan reflected on the wider context in Australia. While the country has been largely free of mass shootings for decades, the level of hate and antisemitism toward the Jewish community has been allowed to thrive. “It was only a matter of time,” she said, pointing to chants on the Harbour Bridge waving Hamas flags, posters of Hezbollah and Taliban leaders, attacks on synagogues, cars set on fire, and harassment of Jewish students. She criticized the government for recognizing a Palestinian state after the October 7 attacks, arguing it rewarded violent actions.
As a strong advocate for Israel, Molan admitted to being increasingly aware of the personal risks she faces. “Sitting there with my little girl… I have stood up and made an adult decision to stand up for what is right… this will only make me louder,” she said. Despite the dangers, she emphasized that her activism is not only for the Jewish community and Israel but also for “Western civilization and the kind of world I want my daughter to grow up in.”