“My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise”. – Psalm 51:17 AMP
On 14 December 2025, Australians were shocked and horrified to see a couple of Islamic State inspired terrorists unleash a barrage of gunfire on an open-air Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach. After two years of increasing antisemitism in our nation and next-to-no government effort to halt the landslide of hate, we saw 15 innocent people killed and dozens more injured, many critically. The Jewish community reeled, tens of thousands of people laid flowers, wrote messages or cards of condolence and stood in solidarity with the grieving community. Many fingers were pointed at the Prime Minister and cries for action, not petty words, grew loud and clear in the government’s ears. However, Mr Albanese, changes to gun laws do not change the hearts of people. Only Yeshua can do that.
We can try and pass blame towards our leaders but ultimately, they represent the people and we vote them in. They are not called to be the moral compass for society. That is the church’s role. We are commanded to teach the nation God’s ways and we have to use our voices to hold our leaders accountable. We must bear at least some of the responsibility for the muddy waters in which our nation now finds itself wallowing. Ezekiel 33 sets out the duty of the watchmen to sound the shofar when he sees danger coming.
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood”. – Ezekiel 33:6
“For Jews, action is the only language that speaks credibility.”
This is serious. We must ask ourselves whether we have failed to be the trumpet that God requires. As we appeal to the courts of heaven for the injustice and bloodshed done to the Jewish people of Bondi, we need to come in humility and repentance that we have been largely silent in the face this rising tide of antisemitism. Many ignorant or deceived people in the church have even joined the marches, oblivious to the fact that the same ideology that fuelled the murderous deeds of the assassins of 14 December, also incites Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad etc to kill the Jews in Israel. We must join the dots for them to connect that the two are one and the same. Rewarding the violence with recognising a state while these terror groups refuse to lay down their weapons and continue their mission to annihilate Jews from the ‘River to the Sea’ is insane.
How should we respond? Firstly, we need to come before the Lord in repentance. In appealing to the courts of heaven for forgiveness, our repentance is the only counter to the accusations of Satan against us and our land. Our guilt is washed away by the precious blood of Yeshua spilt for us and His finished work on the cross.
It speaks a ‘better word’ than the blood of bulls and goats (Hebrews 12:24). We can also intercede for our nation as Daniel and Nehemiah did and ask the Lord to cleanse our land from the sin of innocent bloodshed which leaves a curse on the land (Numbers 35:33). As Daniel and Nehemiah identified with and confessed the nation’s sin so we can do the same for the sin that is over the land. The same roots are also in us. Repentance is not a popular topic today, but it is the only way to break Satan’s legal right and attain an innocent verdict in the heavenly courts.
Secondly, we must do more than feel grief for what has happened. For Jews, action is the only language that speaks credibility. The fruit of repentance is seen in changed behaviour. After the Bondi massacre, the rabbis called not for revenge but for a ‘mitzvah’. That is doing a good deed for someone. It is always good to spread goodwill but even better if it can directly assist those affected. Speak words of condolence to any Jew you know especially in the Sydney region. They all feel it as a community and appreciate words of comfort. Let them know you stand with them and that the government does not represent your views. All the cards and mementos left at Bondi Beach were collected to be kept for a special exhibition at the Jewish Museum in Sydney.
Thirdly, to practically help those bereaved or injured, you can donate via https://www.charidy.com/generalsupport/CelebrateIs raelAustralia. These funds go directly to assist the affected families.
Fourthly, write to our politicians and demand action or sign a petition against antisemitism. A Royal Commission into antisemitism in Australia is a good place to start. The ‘Never Again is Now’ movement is doing great work in this respect. https://www.neveragainisnow.com.au/.We cannot remain silent.
Fifthly, pray for salvation for the Muslim people and exposure of the teachings of Islam that call for jihad especially against ‘the people of the book’—both Jews and Christians. Pray also for the protection of Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Bondi hero who tackled the gunman and saved many lives, then was injured himself. He will be seen as a traitor to Islam for saving Jews.
Pray against any revenge attacks or ‘copy-cat’ shootings and for increased security for Jewish people and organisations.
Finally, ask any Jews you know if they have considered making Aliyah. God says He will gather His people from the ends of the earth back to Israel (Isaiah 11:11-12, 43:5-7, Jeremiah 31:8-14). He sends the fishers and then the hunters. It appears the hunters have arrived in Australia. Encourage the Jewish people to go ‘home’.
“But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.” Jeremiah 31:8-14 16:16
Only God can bring good out of evil but if it causes Jews to return to the homeland (as after the Holocaust), change the course of our government, and open eyes of the public, then we can at least draw some comfort that all has not been in vain.
Jill’s book The Many Facets of Prayer is now available at https://giftsfortheking.com.au or email giftsfortheking@gmail.com
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