'Our existence is on the line!' Jewish community leader demands 'action' from Labour on antisemitism after Bondi Beach attack

Reacting to the shooting, which left 16 dead including one of the two gunmen involved, Mr Schapiro told GB News: "Once again, a very sad and tragic day for the Jewish community.

"Jewish people have been slaughtered in Australia on one of the most important days in the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah."

He stated: "Hanukkah is a time of light, a time of celebration, coming together, communities, families and celebrating the festival of lights.

"Unfortunately, what we've seen happening in the last couple of years since October 7, we've seen attacks on very important days in the Jewish calendar, which obviously puts Jewish people at fear.

"Are we safe? Could we go out? Could we celebrate our holidays? Could we practise our religion in our countries where we live? These are the questions people are asking and our very existence is on the line.

"So this is a very, very tragic day and people have concerns for their safety, they fear for them and their family and it's not easy."

Declaring the Governments around the world "effectively responsible" for not listening to the warnings by Jewish people, Mr Schapiro explained: "The alarm bells have been ringing for far too long. Nobody, no politician, no one in Government can say 'I wasn't aware of this'.

"I don't think any security forces can say they were not aware of this. Because the reality is that many people have been alerting the Government, the fact that there are hate marches on the streets of Britain, all around the world, attacks on Jewish people, antisemitism being viciously spread all over the streets, you can't say that 'I wasn't aware of this'.

"These people are effectively responsible for this and there are Jewish people now paying the price."

GB News host Miriam Cates reflected on the events of the Holocaust 80 years ago and asked the community leader how the world can "learn those lessons again" in light of recent attacks.

Mr Schapiro responded: "A friend of mine told me yesterday that at the attack in Australia, there wasn't a single Israeli flag present.

"It was simply a Jewish event, there was nothing to do with Israel there yesterday. That tells you that this is pure old-fashioned antisemitism, nothing else.

"Post October 7, they complained it's Israel, it's the war in Gaza and all that stuff. But fast forward two years later, there wasn't a single Israeli flag there yesterday, yet Jewish people were still slaughtered.

"So if you ask me, never again, how can we say never again when it's actually happening?"

Calling on the Government to take action and "pick a side" instead of using "empty words", Mr Schapiro told GB News: "The buck stops at Government, at politicians. Nobody gets born radicalised.

"We are now growing up a whole generation of radical young people who are going out into society and becoming radicalised, and they use those missions they have to attack Jewish people.

"Politicians are responsible for this, so politicians need to take a more clearer stance.

"You have to pick a side. Are you there for the Jewish community? Are you there for humankind, for decency, or are you there just to watch your votes and your election? Because ultimately you have to make the decisions."

He stated: "Politicians have the power to influence and to set the right code for the country.

"And when they go out there and they allow all those radical extremist chants that we've heard in the last two years on the streets here in Britain, on your doorsteps, then by default what they're saying is it's okay, you could say that.

"And then what they do is they put out a little statement, 'we are so shocked and we're so sorry for the Jewish community'. It's meaningless.

"The Jewish people are not silly, we're not stupid, we know it's empty words. It means nothing.

"The only way to show us that you really care for our community and for communities, I would say, is by taking action, not words."

Vowing that the community will continue to celebrate Hanukkah in the "face of evil", the leader concluded: "Those people don't want us to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.

"Yesterday was the first day of Hanukkah, and tonight we're going to light the second night of the second candle of Hanukkah.

"Those people don't want us to go out there and light the second candle of Hanukkah, but yet as a Jewish community, we have a certain level of strength in our hearts, but we are a broken community at the moment.

"There is a certain sentiment of strengths that we come together and we support each other, we respect each other, and this is how we fight the evil.

"So tonight we are going to light the second candle of Hanukkah. We will do that in the face of those evil people."