Hanukkah Events on High Alert After Bondi Terror Attack

Security has increased at Hanukkah events around the world in the wake of the deadly antisemitic attack in Australia.

Authorities from Europe to the United States are bolstering police deployments at synagogues, public menorah lightings, and seasonal gatherings after gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens.

Reinforced security at Hanukkah events and around Jewish institutions will be in place in major cities such as Berlin, London, and New York.

The New York Police Department said it was "closely monitoring" developments in Australia and deploying "additional resources to public Hanukkah celebrations and synagogues out of an abundance of caution," while noting there were no specific or credible threats tied to local events, the Daily News reported.

Across the Atlantic, officials have also emphasized vigilance without panic.

Reports from London said the Metropolitan Police stepped up patrols and coordination with Jewish community leaders even as authorities stressed they had no intelligence indicating a direct link to threat levels in the U.K., according to Yahoo News.

Berlin prepared for public Hanukkah candle lightings under heavy protection following the Sydney attack, underscoring how Jewish celebrations in Europe increasingly require hardened perimeters, added manpower, and close coordination with law enforcement, Israel Hayom reported.

U.S.-based Jewish organizations, meanwhile, have urged heightened security protocols at public events, encouraging measures such as preregistration, controlled entry points, and increased screening — a sober acknowledgment that anti-Jewish violence is no longer a distant concern but a recurring threat in the West.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said he was in close contact with U.S. officials at every level of law enforcement to ensure the security of Jewish communities after the massacre in Australia, the Washington Times reported.

"Antisemitism and the acts of evil it inspires are a global scourge and on the rise in our communities," Garbarino said in a statement. "We must remain vigilant and united in combating the surge in this vile hatred whenever it is found."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to further tighten his nation's already strict firearms laws, with his cabinet agreeing on "strong, decisive" steps in response to the massacre.

Proposals described include restrictions on firearm imports, weapons made with 3D printers, limits on magazine capacity, faster implementation of a national firearms registry, and additional curbs on licensing, including barring noncitizens from holding a firearms license.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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