King Charles has said he is “horrified and saddened by the most terrible anti-Semitic terrorist attack against the Jewish people” at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia.
At least 11 people were killed in Sunday’s shooting in Bondi Beach and 29 others were hospitalized, police said.
The king said his and Queen Camilla’s hearts “go out to everyone who has been so terribly affected.” He praised the “spirit of community and love that shines so brightly in Australia”, adding that the light of the holiday of Hanukkah “will always triumph over the darkness of such evil”.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a British-born rabbi, was among those killed in the attack, his family confirmed.
A cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, described the 41-year-old father of five as “lively, energetic, full of life and a very warm and outgoing person.”
He told the BBC that people should “spread light” by doing acts of charity in Rabbi Schlanger’s name: “I know how he would have reacted and it was something he said recently.
“Every human being on Earth has a positive way to contribute to making the world a better place, and we just have to keep spreading the light. The world is a positive place and we have to show it and I know Eli would be saying that.”
Sir Keir Starmer described the Bondi attack as “disgusting” and said the government was working with the Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish security organisation, in monitoring Hanukkah events in the UK.
In a statement on X, the UK Prime Minister said: “The UK will always support Australia and the Jewish community.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales also issued a statement, saying their “thoughts are with all Australians today”, adding: “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives and we support the Jewish community in their grief.”
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it was increasing its “police presence, carrying out additional community patrols and engaging with the Jewish community to understand what more we can do”.
“It is a terrible reality that Jewish communities around the world continue to face an increased level of threat,” the force said in a statement.
“At a time when London’s Jewish communities are gathering to begin the Hanukkah celebration, we know that this attack will be the cause not only of terrible unrest but also of significantly greater security concerns.”
In October, two people were killed in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.
On Sunday, the UK’s Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) called on the police and government to protect Hanukkah celebration events, which begin this afternoon and run for eight days.
Hanukkah, also known as Hanukkah, is a festival of light usually celebrated in December.
“We are devastated and angry that in Sydney, Jews appear to have once again been attacked for being Jewish,” the JLC said in a statement.
“We know that hate also exists in this country, as we are still recovering from the attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur.
“As we prepare to celebrate Hanukkah over the next eight nights, we call on the government and law enforcement to work with our community to protect Jewish life in the UK and ensure this week’s events can take place safely. We must not allow hate to extinguish the festival of light.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the Met would increase its visibility in Jewish communities ahead of Hanukkah events, while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government was working with the CST on monitoring events across the UK.
Police Scotland said it was carrying out extra patrols around synagogues and other Jewish sites and was “actively communicating with religious leaders”.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said he was heading to a Hanukkah event that “should be a celebration, but instead our community is once again in mourning.”
“I will think of all the members of the Jewish community in Australia and around the world who know this fear and this loss. We stand with them.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it had offered its support to its Australian partners and was in contact with the government to discuss the UK’s response.
“The scourges of terrorism and anti-Semitism are shared international challenges and require concerted and determined action to defeat them,” he added.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has advised any Briton caught in the shooting to contact the Sydney consulate for help.
