ANZUUA statement on the Bondi Beach attack

The Australian and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association is deeply shocked and grieved by the antisemitic terrorist attack on the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Families, children, and community members gathered in joy and peace were met instead with deadly violence, in what authorities have identified as a terrorist assault on the Jewish community.

On behalf of all our member congregations, we extend our deepest condolences to the Jewish community of Australia, and especially to the families and friends of those who were killed or injured. We honour the courage of those who tried to protect others, and we hold in our hearts all who are mourning, all who were wounded, and all who are traumatised by what they witnessed.

As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and we reject antisemitism in all its forms. This attack did not occur in a vacuum, but against a background of rising antisemitic incidents and rhetoric in Australia and around the world. No one should ever fear for their life when gathering to pray, to celebrate, or simply to be visibly and joyfully Jewish.

We are also mindful that, in the wake of this atrocity, many Muslim, Arab and Palestinian Australians, and people who support Palestinian independence, are experiencing fear, grief and scapegoating. Community leaders have warned of both antisemitism and Islamophobia, and have called Australians to unity, compassion and restraint rather than division and blame. ANZUUA stands against all forms of religious and racial hatred, including antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti‑Arab and anti‑Palestinian racism.

In this moment, our primary response is one of compassion and solidarity. We stand with Jewish Australians as they bury their dead and care for their injured, and we join with people of all faiths and none, who are gathering at vigils and services to honour the victims and to say, together, that hatred and terror must not have the last word. At the same time, we affirm that an attack on one community is an attack on the fabric of our shared humanity.

There will be a time for deeper reflection on the divisions and injustices in our society, and on how our governments and communities can more effectively confront antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry, so that all may live in safety and dignity. As that work unfolds, ANZUUA will support all efforts to build relationships across religious and cultural lines, to speak out against hate, and to nurture communities where every person is respected and every life is cherished.

In grief and solidarity,

the Australian and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association