We grieve the lives lost in Boondi and mourn all those harmed by this horrific violence. Jewish tradition teaches us: “For anybody who destroys a single life it is counted as if he destroyed an entire world, and for anybody who preserves a single life it is counted as if he preserved an entire world.” Every life taken is an entire world extinguished, and every act to protect life matters profoundly. We honour Ahmed Al Ahmed, Sofia & Boris Gurman, who risked their own lives to save others, embodying the true meaning of this teaching — a value shared by Jewish and Muslim traditions alike.

This attack came during Chanukah, a time when Jews gather, light candles, and commit to bringing more light into the world during darkness. A moment meant for togetherness, hope, and renewal, was violently disrupted.

As Jews committed to justice and liberation, we also reject the exploitation of our grief and trauma. In the wake of this attack, Israel and some Zionist organisations have already sought to exploit violence against Jews to support its genocidal agenda. They use the very real fear many of us live with to incite racism, justify collective punishment, and legitimise further violence against others, particularly Palestinians and other racialised communities. This misuse of Jewish suffering deepens cycles of harm, fuels hatred, and makes us all less safe.

We unequivocally condemn victim-blaming, antisemitic conspiracies and islamophobia that have emerged in the wake of this attack. Antisemitism and islamophobia are real, dangerous, and must be confronted wherever they appear. We insist that all lives are equally valuable and all lives should be valued and equally grievable — in Australia, in Palestine, in Belgium, and everywhere. We stand against racism in all its forms, and against the misuse of Jewish pain and trauma to justify further violence, oppression, and dehumanisation. This week we will continue to light our Chanukah candles and commit to working towards a world grounded in mutual care and shared safety, where every life is treated as sacred.