Mayor-Elect Mamdani Condemns Sydney Chanukah Attack, Pledges to Protect Jewish New Yorkers

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Kwame Mamdani condemned the deadly antisemitic attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, calling it a “vile act of terror” and expressing solidarity with Jewish communities around the world.

In a statement posted Sunday on X, Mamdani said he was mourning those killed in the Bondi Beach shooting and keeping their families, the Jewish community, and the Chabad movement in his prayers. “May the memories of all those killed be a blessing,” he wrote.

Mamdani cited reports that at least 11 people were killed, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, whom he said had deep ties to the Crown Heights community in Brooklyn, and that at least 29 others were injured. Australian authorities have said the attack targeted a Jewish event marking the start of Chanukah.

“Another Jewish community has been plunged into mourning and loss,” Mamdani wrote, describing the holiday as having been “so painfully reduced to a day of darkness.” He said the attack reflects a growing pattern of violence targeting Jews worldwide, leaving many fearful of expressing their faith publicly or worshipping without heavy security.

Referencing reports that a bystander ran toward the gunfire and disarmed one of the attackers, Mamdani said the act exemplified the urgency required to confront hatred.

As Jewish communities in New York lit menorahs for the first night of Chanukah, Mamdani said the attack reinforced fears shared by Jewish communities globally that similar violence could strike closer to home.

“When I am mayor, I will work every day to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe — on our streets, our subways, at shul, in every moment of every day,” Mamdani wrote, calling on all New Yorkers to unite in rejecting antisemitic violence.

Australian authorities said the investigation into the Bondi Beach attack remains ongoing.

The attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney today was a vile act of antisemitic terror. I mourn those who were murdered and will be keeping their families, the Jewish community, and the Chabad movement in my prayers. May the memories of all those killed be a blessing.

While…

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 14, 2025