'We will not give in to terror': Canadian leaders react to deadly Hanukkah attack in Australia
Canadian political leaders and Jewish organizations were swift to condemn a fatal mass shooting at an Australian Hanukkah beach party Sunday, with many calling for unity against antisemitism in Canada and around the world.
Hanukkah begins today, and events are planned all week across Canada.
At least 11 people were killed and at least 29 were injured as terrorists targeted a holiday kickoff event on Bondi Beach in Sydney, organized by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. One shooter is believed to be among the fatalities, the second was injured.
Saying “we will not give in to terror,” a Toronto rabbi says his Chabad synagogue will carry on with public Hanukkah celebrations after today’s attack.
“Fear does not define us, and it will not silence Jewish life. Chanukah is about light pushing back against darkness. That message feels especially urgent right now,” Rabbi Levi Gansburg of Chabad on Bayview said in a news release.
Chabad on Bayview plans events today and Monday along Bayview Avenue in Toronto, and said members of the public are invited to “attend and stand together in celebration of faith, freedom, and community.”
“This country should and must be a safe place for Jews to live openly and proudly,” Gansburg said in the release. “The Jewish community has been, and continues to be, a positive and meaningful contributor to Canadian society. Celebrating our heritage publicly is not an act of defiance, it is an expression of belonging.”
On X, Toronto Police said it was “closely monitoring events in Australia and any activity that may target Jewish people.” It also promised an “increased police presence” in Toronto’s Jewish community throughout Hanukkah.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the antisemitic attack, expressed condolences to the global Jewish community and echoed the police commitment to added protection.
“To Toronto’s Jewish community: I know the fear you feel is real, while celebrating your faith, gathering wth loved ones or simply being visible,” she wrote on X . “You deserve to live freely, openly and safely in our city.”
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martines Ferrada, while confident “the spirit of togetherness that characterizes Montreal will guide everyone’s action,” she too has asked the local police chief to follow suit in the city’s Jewish communities.
“These communities are feeling anxious, and our police officers are there to support them,” she wrote on X .
In a statement, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “horrified by the antisemitic terror attack” on Bondi.
“Canada stands with the people of Australia and Jewish people everywhere in sorrow, and determination never to bow to terrorism, violence, hatred and intimidation,” Carney said on X.
“Hanukkah is a time of light amidst the darkness, and a remembrance of the resilience of the Jewish people. May we all support and strengthen that resilience to protect our Jewish communities and to ensure more fundamentally that all people can thrive in every aspect of our society.”
Horrified by the antisemitic terror attack that has stolen the lives of 11 people at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach today in Australia.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) December 14, 2025
Canada stands with the people of Australia and Jewish people everywhere in sorrow, and determination never to bow to terrorism, violence,…
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the traumatic event is the result of “fueling” and “excusing” hate and said “the time for thoughts and prayers is long over.”
“We must stand united and confront these vile attacks on western values and freedom wherever they exist, without hesitation and without the deafening silence of complicity,” he wrote in a statement shared to X . “We will never stop fighting against terror or for anyone to practice their faith in the open.”
Poilievre also remarked that his friend and human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky was on Bondi Beach at the time and “badly injured” in the attack.
On his X account, the Oct. 7 survivor and new head of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council shared a photo of himself with a bloodied face and bandaged head.
“Bullet grazed my head. Doctors said miracle survived, but will make recovery,” he posted.
Speaking to a local news station, Ostrovsky called it “an absolute massacre.”
“I saw children falling to the floor, I saw elderly, I saw invalids, I saw people just… it was just an absolute bloodbath. Blood gushing everywhere,” he recounted.
In his statement on X , Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered his sympathies and said standing with Jewish friends and neighbours in mourning must include standing firmly against hate and antisemitism.
“I am praying for the victims and their loved ones, and that all those responsible for this attack are swiftly brought to justice,” he wrote.
B.C. Premier David Eby wrote on X that he was “appalled” at what occurred on the first night of Hanukkah.
“We stand united with the Jewish community in B.C. and around the world, and we mourn the innocent lives lost.”
Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said Sunday’s “terrorist massacre,’ like others before it, is an outcome of antisemitism left unchecked and calls to “‘globalize intifada.'”
“Canada is not immune,” he wrote in a statement. “Canadians must wake up to this reality — we need urgent action from governments and law enforcement to keep all of us safe.”
“CIJA is in continuous contact with the Prime Minister’s Office, Public Safety Canada, law enforcement, and provincial and municipal governments to ensure steps are being taken to keep our community safe.
Abraham Global Peace Initiative founder and CEO Avi Abraham Benlolo also blamed the emboldening of the intifada movement and urged both Jewish communities and authorities around the world to “raise their alert levels” throughout Hanukkah to avoid similar tragedies.
“This was an attack not only on innocent civilians, but on the fundamental freedom to gather, worship, and celebrate one’s faith without fear,” he wrote in a statement shared to social media channels.
“Violence motivated by antisemitism is an assault on democratic values and human dignity. Failure to confront it decisively — whether through policy, security, or moral leadership — only emboldens those who seek to spread terror.”