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Together, with you, I grieve for our nation. What should have been a celebration of light and joy has instead left families grieving over the bodies of loved ones, after terrorists driven by extremist Islamic ideology targeted Jews celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach.

We grieve with the Jewish community. But grief without accountability is hollow, and solidarity without truth is meaningless. Australia, and the families of those murdered in cold blood, deserve answers.

Following the antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach, serious questions must be asked about how Australia confronts antisemitism, extremism, and social cohesion. The targeting of Jews celebrating Hanukkah underscores the consequences of blurred moral lines and weak leadership.

A safe… pic.twitter.com/YtZ7hSgS2u

— Australian Christian Lobby (@ACLobby) December 16, 2025

Our Leader’s Lack of Moral Clarity

Antisemitism and terrorism are both moral and national security crises that demand clear conviction and courageous leadership. On this issue, I believe our leaders have lost their moral compass. When leaders lack moral clarity, conviction falters, courage diminishes, and wisdom is absent. The result is blurred priorities, inconsistent justice, and a failure to confront the threats that truly endanger our society.

I would say there’s hypocrisy at play.

It is extremely hypocritical to voice your concern about antisemitism while allowing weekly demonstrations featuring hate-filled chants and terrorist flags, often carried by masked activists.

It is hypocritical to say you oppose terrorism while capitulating to it so completely through the recognition of a Palestinian state after the October 7 genocide. This reflects neither strength of character nor national resilience.

Misguided Policies

It is misguided to suggest that further gun control alone will prevent acts of terrorism, particularly when those intent on violence do not respect the law. A stronger focus must be placed on building a nation grounded in shared values.

Australia is a multiracial nation, and that diversity has long been a strength.

Social cohesion, however, depends on shared values rather than parallel cultures.

Immigration policy should therefore prioritise integration and a common commitment to the principles that hold our society together. Clearly, this has been absent from immigration policy.

Words such as diversity, multiculturalism, tolerance, and respect ring hollow when they result in passive acceptance of a murderous ideology.

Equating antisemitism with Islamophobia, and distancing terrorist organisations from religion, is naive at best and cowardly at worst. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but the terrorist ideology is clearly rooted in religion.

Priority of the Gospel

In saying all of this, the failure in public policy must not lead to a compromise of our Christian disciplines.

We are called to love our neighbours and bless our enemies. We must continue to shine the light of Christ to all Australians, including Muslim communities, some of whom have come to Australia as refugees escaping violence. We must share the gospel of Jesus Christ and the all-sufficiency of his grace. But we must also pray that Australia’s laws and policies will be built from a position of moral clarity. They must address antisemitism by condemning and penalising real hatred and threats of violence.

The future of a free, just, and compassionate Australia depends on those willing to defend truth and act wisely in public life, with antisemitism recognised and addressed as the urgent threat it truly is.

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Republished with thanks to the Australian Christian Lobby. Image via screenshot of YouTube/AP.