Ep. 28: Surviving the Bondi Beach Attack: Terror, Trauma, and Combating Antisemitism
In this powerful episode of Mideast Horizons, recorded on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, hosts Asher Fredman and Lahav Harkov sit down with Arsen Ostrovsky, Misgav Institute Senior Fellow and Head of the Sydney Office of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).
Arsen shares his harrowing firsthand account of surviving the Bondi Beach terror attack, which claimed the lives of fifteen innocent people gathered for a Chanukah celebration. As gunfire rang out and victims lay wounded around him, Arsen was shot in the head and believed he might never see his wife and daughters again. His survival, which doctors later described as a miracle, has reshaped his personal mission and intensified his resolve to combat antisemitism worldwide.
The conversation explores the explosion of antisemitism since October 7, how anti-Zionism increasingly serves as a mask for anti-Jewish hate, and how unchecked incitement led to Islamist violence. Arsen discusses the lessons that the global Jewish community, Australia, and all democracies must learn from the deadly attack.
The episode also delves into the rise of AI-generated disinformation, the role of social media companies and governments in confronting online hate, the rise of Holocaust distortion, and strategies for defending Israel in the international legal and diplomatic arenas.
In the first part of this episode, Lahav and Asher discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by President Trumpβs Board of Peace, the danger of Israeli concessions in Syria, developments in Iran, and the deeper trends driving Saudi Arabiaβs increasingly hostile stance towards Israel and the UAE.
This is a sobering, courageous, and ultimately hopeful conversation about resilience, responsibility, and the urgent need for moral clarity and bold action in the fight against antisemitic hate.
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