Around 700 people gathered across Australia on October 7, 2026, to mark the third anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel, referring to the December Bondi terrorist attack and condemning pro-Palestinian vigils as insensitive.
There is a direct line between the shooting at Nova and the shooting at Bondi,
said Newman.
A Direct Line Between Tragedies
The Bondi Pavilion vigil on October 7, 2026, drew around 700 attendees, with speakers emphasizing how the Hamas attacks reshaped Jewish communities globally. Three years later, October 7th is not just a date in history, it is still with us,
said Michael Gencher, executive director StandWithUs Australia which works to combat antisemitism. It has changed the way many of us see the world and it has changed the way we see our place in this world.
Sloane highlighted the October 7 attacks, referencing scenes of little boys running from a shelter after their father was attacked.
The event included a minute’s silence at 6:29am, the same time of day Hamas militants launched their deadly assault on Israel in 2023. A man sounds the shofar, a ceremonial trumpet, at the pavilion. Carasso, who lives in Tel Aviv but has travelled widely among the global Jewish diaspora, described the trauma of living through three years of fear. My friend lost his father. They didn’t know where he was for months, he was at the Nova festival,
added a survivor, referring to the Hamas attack on a music festival.
Divided Responses to the Anniversary
While Jewish groups organized solemn commemorations, pro-Palestinian activists held counter-vigils under the slogan Don’t let Israel steal the date
.
The NSW government and Jewish leaders criticized the pro-Palestinian gatherings, with NSW Premier Chris Minns describing the Sydney vigil as ‘heartless’. There are some people suggesting it can be stopped. The Constitution doesn’t allow that,
Minns said, adding that as a citizen, I’ve got a right to make a judgement on it
. NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane also condemned the vigil, describing it as “entirely sickening and reprehensible”.
At the Bondi event, Carasso spoke about the lasting impact of the attacks. We don’t have a normal childhood for three years now,
he said. I want to get to speak for the children. We didn’t get a chance to grow up.
Legacy of Trauma and Rising Antisemitism
We saw it in Lakemba and the Opera House,
he said. It exposed the rank hypocrisy of human-rights advocates who lined up to explain why rape and murder were resistance in certain cases.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported over 74,000 deaths in the war that followed the Hamas attacks, a figure cited by ABC News. Meanwhile, the progressive Jewish Council of Australia used the date to call for sanctions against Israel, stating, Every life lost is a whole universe, both Palestinian and Israeli,
said the group’s executive director Sarah Schwartz.
Police increased presence at vigil locations, with police having increased presence around vigil locations across major cities throughout the day. We’ve come through fire,
said Ryvchin, reflecting on the community’s resilience. And we’ve remained who we are, we’re proud Australians, we’re proud Jews and we stand with Israel.
Federal Liberal senator Dave Sharma spoke at the event.
Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Tensions
The event underscored unresolved tensions, with some attendees questioning how to balance mourning the past with addressing present-day conflicts. It’s a day the world changed and terrorism was brought back and heinous crimes against Jewish people which we thought belonged to previous eras were visited upon us again,
said Ryvchin. We’re not thinking about those small number of people who want to divide, who want to inflict more hatred and misery on our society.
As Australia grapples with its role in global conflicts, the anniversary served as a stark reminder of the lasting scars of violence. For so many, no day since has been easy, but anniversaries fall with their own terrible weight,
said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who described October 7 as “the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust”.
Jewish groups emphasized the need for unity, with Alex Ryvchin noting, It’s a day when we pause and remember the horrors of that day, and it’s a day that no Jewish Australian will ever forget.
The vigil included a moment of silence for those lost in the terrorist attack.
About 1200 people were killed, and 250 taken as hostages in the October 7 attack.