ASHDOD, Israel — Hundreds of mourners gathered Thursday in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod to attend the funeral of Dan Alkayim, a 27-year-old French Jewish man who was killed in the mass terrorist shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney earlier this month.
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Alkayim was buried at a cemetery in Ashdod, where family members, friends and community leaders came together to honor his life.
He was among those murdered in the Dec. 14 attack, which targeted Jewish families celebrating the first day of Hanukkah.
באשדוד הובא למנוחות דן אלקיים, מהנדס תוכנה בן 27 שנרצח בפיגוע בסידני. בצילום: בת זוגו pic.twitter.com/tC3fCa1K8b
— אסף פוזיילוב (@pozailov1) December 25, 2025
According to the Jerusalem Post, Ashdod Mayor Yechiel Lasri delivered a eulogy describing Alkayim as a young man filled with warmth, faith and joy, whose life was taken because he was Jewish.
“In every photograph, Dan appears angelic — full of joy and vitality,” Lasri said. “Those qualities were brutally extinguished by hatred and terror.”
Lasri said Alkayim’s killing had left both the city and the country in mourning and announced that Ashdod would observe a day of mourning in his honor. He also said Alkayim acted selflessly during the attack, attempting to protect a young child.
“Dan did not think of himself,” Lasri said. “He acted with nobility, prepared to give his life for others. Tragically, both he and the child were murdered.”
The mayor concluded by saying Alkayim’s legacy would endure as a symbol of courage and moral strength.
“The Jewish people will continue to spread light even in the darkest moments,” Lasri said, pledging that Alkayim’s commitment to protecting others would not be forgotten.