Police presence will be stepped up around synagogues in London ahead of Hanukkah in the wake of the shooting on Bondi Beach.
Twelve people have been killed and nearly 30 injured after two gunmen opened fire during an event to mark the first night of the Jewish eight-day festival at the popular coastal spot near Sydney.
Met Police confirmed officers had increased patrols in areas with large Jewish communities and were liaising with community venues following the terror attack.
It said in a statement: ‘At a time when London’s Jewish communities are coming together to begin the celebration of Hannukah, we know this attack will be the cause of not just terrible upset but also significant heightened concern about safety.
‘We were already working closely with partners, including the Community Security Trust, to provide an increased presence around synagogues and other community venues at this important time.’
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Among those killed in the Bondi attack was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was helping lead the event organised by the local Chabad group.
Police say shooters were father and son
- – 16 dead, 40 injured
- – 10-year-old girl among the dead
- – Oldest victim was 87
- – Five people in critical condition
- – One shooter identified as a 50-year-old man. He was killed by police. Licenced firearms holder. Six recovered from the scene.
- -Second shooter identified as a 24-year-old man. He’s in critical condition.
- – Two officers were shot while exchanging fire with the shooters. They remain in serious but stable condition.
The force added: ‘While there is no information to suggest any link between the attack in Sydney and the threat level in London, this morning we are stepping up our police presence, carrying out additional community patrols and engaging with the Jewish community to understand what more we can do in the coming hours and days.’
Yisroel Lew, the rabbi for Marylebone, spoke as he lit a menorah at a vigil and Hanukkah celebration outside Australia House in central London.
He said: ‘After hearing what happened this morning, the first thought was: how can we bring more light?
‘Don’t be afraid and celebrate Hanukkah.’
The Community Security Trust, a Jewish security charity, said it was working to increase security at venues over Hanukkah.
It said: ‘Chanukah is a Jewish festival that celebrates light and religious freedom and it is abhorrent that such violence was directed at a moment of communal joy. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Australian Jewish community at this awful time.’
Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer lit their family Chanukiah in the window of Number 10 as they sent ‘thoughts and prayers’ to those murdered in the terrorist attack.
Sir Keir Starmer wrote on X: ‘Chanukah should be a time of celebration and joy.
‘The news that the Bondi beach attack was an antisemitic terrorist attack against Jewish families at a Chanukah event is sickening.
‘My thoughts are with the victims and their families.
‘The United Kingdom will always stand with Australia and the Jewish community. We are actively working with Community Security Trust on the policing of Chanukah events.’
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said the Jewish community would ‘rebuild with tenacity’ after the ‘unspeakable atrocity’.
He wrote: ‘As we kindle our first Chanukah lights this evening, we hold the victims of the unspeakable atrocity in Sydney in our hearts and in our prayers.
‘We mourn the loss of the innocent lives taken so brutally in this act of hatred and terror and we pray for a speedy recovery for all those injured.
‘Once again, Jews have been targeted for the crime of gathering together proudly as Jews and it is hard to find the words to adequately express our pain.
‘Our traditional Jewish response is clear: In the spirit of the defiant Maccabees, who declared that they would never be cowed nor denied the right to live and worship freely, we are strong and resilient.’
As events to mark the first night of Hanukkah get underway, many members of the community are volunteering to keep events safe.
Adam Ma’anit is among many wearing stab vests while helping with the CST to protect venues.
He said: ‘Along with hundreds of others at the CST, I will be donning a stab vest tonight to help secure my community as we mark the first night of Hanukkah. All of us will be thinking of the victims at Bondi Beach.
‘Hanukkah is about Jewish resilience and perseverence and we will be working to ensure our communities can mark the holiday safely.’
Zalman S Shterna Lewis, a Chabad emissary and cousin of Rabbi Eli who was killed in the Sydney attack, paid tribute to the religious leader as an ‘incredible guy’.
He said he heard the news as he left synagogue this morning.
‘Let’s flood the world with goodness. As Jews, we know, as difficult as it might seem, that light & good will always win’, he wrote on his Facebook page.
The Hanukkah attack comes amid a rising tide of antisemitism and several high profile incidents coinciding with Jewish holidays.
Two congregants were killed during an attack on a synagogue in north Manchester on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.
Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby both died after Syrian-born Al-Shamie rammed his car into the synagogue gates before launching a knife attack at worshippers.
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