‘1,700 Hate Incidents In A Year’: Israeli Envoy Warns of Escalating Threat to Jews Worldwide

New Delhi: In an exclusive conversation with Republic TV, Israel’s Ambassador to India Reuven Azar issued a strong warning over the growing threat to Jewish communities across the world after the deadly terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration.

At least 16 people were killed and dozens suffered injuries when gunmen opened fire on Sunday evening as families gathered to celebrate the Festival of Lights. 

The act has been classified as a terrorist attack against the Jewish community by Australian police.

“It is a tragic event. Families were going to celebrate the Festival of Lights. It was very clear that there was not enough security at the venue. We are cooperating with the Australian authorities in the investigation.”

‘Rising Threat To Jewish Communities Worldwide’

Azar said Israel has been critical of the Australian government over the past year as anti-Semitic attacks continue to rise.

“However, we have been quite critical of the Australian government over the past year. Anti-Semitic attacks have been on the rise for the last two years.”

Highlighting figures reported by the Jewish community, he said, “The Jewish community reported more than 1,700 incidents of hate in 2024 alone. We were expecting the government to be more alert, and we demand that it remains more vigilant.”

The Israeli Ambassador said governments are failing to clearly separate criticism from hate.

“We regret the fact that the Australian government, like other governments, does not differentiate between criticism of Israel and hate speech.”

Speaking about a wider global trend, Azar said Jewish communities and Israeli assets are being increasingly targeted.

“There has been a pattern over the last two years in which different state agencies, including the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, have used criminal elements around the world to attack Jewish communities and Israeli assets.”

He added, “We know there has been a rise in the threat.”

Criticising Australia’s response, he said, “Unfortunately, what we have not seen is enough understanding from the Australian government regarding the implications of not addressing hate speech and anti-Semitic attacks of the kind we’ve witnessed.”

He added, “More robust measures could have been taken.”

‘We Cannot Tolerate ISIS And Hamas Flags’

On Islamic extremism and the Pakistani origin of the attackers, Azar warned that the danger is growing and requires action beyond intelligence agencies.

“It is indeed an increasing threat. I think we can do much more, not only on the intelligence side to try to undermine these attacks, but also on public policy.”

Strongly opposing extremist symbols being defended as free speech, he said,

“We cannot tolerate people raising the flags of the Islamic State and calling it free speech.”

He added,

“We cannot tolerate people raising Hamas flags and calling it free speech.”

Referring to extremist slogans, Azar said,

“We cannot tolerate the term ‘globalized intifada,’ because everybody in the jihadi world knows what that means.”

He explained,

“That means ‘kill Jews’.”

The Israeli Ambassador warned that jihadist ideology is misusing democratic freedoms in Western countries.

“So we need to change the approach to how hate speech is being expressed, especially in Western countries, because jihadists are exploiting our values to expand their ideology.”

He added,

“This ideology has proven time and again to be extremely detrimental — to innocent lives, to the existence of minorities, and to peace in general.”

When asked whether Israel had warned Australia ahead of the attack, Azar said he could not discuss intelligence details.

“I cannot comment on specific intelligence matters.”

He added,

“What I can say is that there is a clear and increasing trend, heightened alertness from our intelligence agencies, and ongoing conversations with counterparts.”

He noted that responses have differed across countries.

“In some cases, governments have acted more robustly to defend Jewish communities, as attacks against them have increased worldwide.”

Concluding, Azar said,

“This situation demands a far stronger response from governments and security forces everywhere.”

What Happened At Bondi Beach

The mass shooting took place on Sunday evening at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach during celebrations marking the first night of Hanukkah.

Two gunmen opened fire on the crowd, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens. Police shot dead the 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, at the scene. His 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, a Pakistani national residing in Sydney, was arrested and is currently in critical condition in hospital.

The Australian government has officially declared the incident a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community and has launched raids at the residences of people linked to the attackers.