More than 9,000 people have expressed their support for the Jewish community at a vigil following the weekend’s shocking attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Local Dover Heights woman Cindy S, who attended the event with her daughter and cousin Danny S, said she wanted her daughter to know that her local community supported her family and the Jewish community at large.
“We stand by Israel. We cannot stand by and kill our own people and treat them this way. It’s barbaric,” said Cindy.
“We are here in solidarity as the whole world should.”
Danny said the vigil was a ‘place of love and makes me proud to be Jewish’.
‘There will be tears, but there will be tears not only of grief, but of our pride in who we are.’
Earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke at a synagogue in St Kilda, Melbourne on Tuesday night while wearing a Kippah, a head covering worn by Orthodox Jewish men during prayer.
He told the Jewish community it was a ‘time of deep sorrow’ and vowed his government would ‘stand with Israel. We always will.’
More than 9,000 people have attended a vigil in Sydney (pictured) in support of Israel following the weekend’s shocking attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wore a Kippah (pictured) as he spoke at a synagogue in Melbourne’s St Kilda on Tuesday night, pledging support for the war-torn nation
The vigil came on the same day as it was discovered that around 40 children were killed, some of them beheaded, when Hamas terrorists attacked a kibbutz in southern Israel.
At least 1,200 Israelis were killed at the hands of Hamas
Bondi woman Galit Gershowitz, whose 20-year-old son was currently serving as a sniper in the elite combat unit within the Israeli army, said she felt a sense of community attending the vigil.
“It shows us as a family that we are not alone,” she said.
“My son did not go to fight, he went to defend our country. We just want peace.
She said she felt ‘scared and worried’ for her son’s welfare but was proud of the contribution.
Couple Danielle Chaanger and Gioel Gottlieb, who are both Jewish, said they were ‘devastated and overwhelmed’ by the Hamas attack.
“This morning I went to my doctor and the sister of the doctor’s wife had been shot. She barricaded herself in the house, but they kidnapped the neighbors and killed her baby,” he said.
He said he was at the vigil in support of Israel.
“We are not here to protest. We are here to show that we are very different. We are here to unite ourselves because we love each other,” he said.
Israeli flags were displayed at the moving ceremony
The Prime Minister has pledged that the Australian government will act on anti-Semitic sentiments and actions
Members of Sydney’s Jewish community paid tribute to the victims of the horror attacks in Israel
Jewish leaders say the community is devastated
Speaking to the crowd, Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Jillian Segal also spoke of the barbarity of the attack.
“Not since the Holocaust have so many Jewish lives been taken in a single day,” she said.
“We are completely shocked as we stand together this evening, mourning the hundreds of lives lost and praying for the safe release of the hostages.”
She also thanked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and local federal MP Allegra Spender for their support.
“We invite all fair-minded people and our political representatives to demand the safe return of the hostages,” she said.
“We also demand that those who burned the Israeli flags at the Opera House… be identified and prosecuted.
“And we call for decisive leadership on anti-Semitism and racial hatred from all our governments.”
Politicians condemn Hamas attack
NSW Premier Chris Minns, federal Health Minister Mark Butler, federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman spoke at the vigil.
Representing the prime minister, Health and Elderly Minister Mark Butler said the government condemned Hamas’ actions ‘unequivocally’.
“More Jews were killed on Saturday than any day of the Holocaust,” he said.
“I express my condolences to those who were affected by the profound acts of terror.
“Anti-Semitism has no place in this country… just as we stand with the state that is Israel, we stand with the Jewish community.”
Many speakers at the Sydney vigil spoke of loved ones directly affected by the terror attacks in Israel
Other speakers at the vigil compared the loss of life to the holocaust during World War II
Peter Dutton thanked the Jewish community for their ‘resolute behaviour’ and compared the Hamas attacks to those of 9/11 and ISIS.
Representing the prime minister at the Sydney vigil, Mr Butler said the government condemned Hamas’ actions ‘unequivocally’
Mr Minns claimed he had apologized for recent anti-Semitic incidents since the weekend.
“It is with great pain that I accept some of the hatred that was seen in your city and I am very sorry,” he said.
“I don’t want to live in a world where this happens and I will not live in a country where it is allowed to happen.
Mr Dutton thanked the Jewish community for their ‘resolute behaviour’ and compared the Hamas attacks to those of 9/11 and ISIS.
He said Australia would join the rest of the world in sending a message to Hamas that their actions “will never be tolerated”.
“As Australians we value many attributes and when we look at the history of Israel, it is a history of many trials and tribulations,” the Liberal leader said.
“The terrorism we have seen in recent days cannot be given the moral equivalence of any behavior other than the terrorist events that have occurred in recent history.”
Premier in Melbourne pledges support
Mr Albanese told the congregation at the synagogue that now is “a time of deep sorrow, in the shadow of terrorist acts that are truly despicable”.
“We have seen unimaginable atrocities, targeting children,” he said.
“The government and people of Australia condemn this attack by Hamas.
“The targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages is an affront to all Australians and we condemn these horrific acts.”
Mr. Albanese also promised that the government will act on anti-Semitic sentiments and actions.
“I want to assure you that this kind of hateful prejudice has no place in Australia,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our country is better than this – and our country is a better place because of you and your community.
“My government is committed to keeping the community safe.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Dave Hudson said there would be a “large police presence” at the vigil to ensure the safety of participants.
A woman breaks down in tears during the vigil
Earlier on Wednesday, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Dave Hudson said there would be a “large police presence” at the vigil to ensure the safety of participants.
“I think it can be expected that the Jewish community will maintain such vigilance, and our sympathies go out to that group.”
Commissioner Hudson added that extra security and police presence had been put in place at Jewish schools and synagogues, plus Jewish nursing homes and hospitals at the request of the NSW Board of Jewish Deputies.
NSW Premier’s apology to the Jewish community
The commemoration comes after protesters shouted anti-Semitic slurs and burned an Israeli flag at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night.
At the time, the monument was lit up in Israel’s blue and white colors as a show of solidarity, however the city’s Jewish community was advised to stay away from the Opera House due to security concerns.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister apologized to the Jewish community for not giving them space to grieve.
“I really want to make it clear to the Jewish community that I want to apologize to them, in particular, on behalf of the government and myself as premier of NSW,” he said.
“The intentions were to illuminate the Opera House as a space for the Jewish community to commemorate what happened in Israel, the number of family and friends involved in the conflict.
‘We didn’t. I take responsibility for this. I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.’
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