Sharon Keogan condemns Bondi Beach attack, defends Herzog Park
Sharon Keogan condemned the Bondi Beach attack as anti-Semitic terrorism and offered condolences to the victims, saying two individuals inspired by Islamic ideology opened fire on the first evening of Hanukkah, killing at least 15 people. She also criticised a proposal to rename Herzog Park in Dublin, calling the removal of Kayam Herzog’s name an act of erasure of Jewish‑Irish history and urging moral clarity on Gaza.
Attack and casualties
Keogan described the Bondi Beach shooting as an abhorrent act carried out on the first evening of Hanukkah. She said two individuals inspired by Islamic ideology opened fire, killing at least 15 innocent people, including a child, a Holocaust survivor and two rabbis, and offered her deepest condolences and solidarity with the victims.
Condemnation and concern about anti-Semitism
She called the incident anti-Semitic terrorism and said the country must reflect and be watchful of anti-Semitism emerging at home. Keogan urged both thoughts and moral clarity in the wake of the attack.
Rhetoric on Palestinians and Gaza
Keogan warned against conflating the Palestinian people with terrorism and extremist groups like Hamas, rejecting what she called language of oppression and genocide. At the same time she insisted political rhetoric must rise above such extremes if the nation is to lead a moral voice on Gaza, and said that, at present, the country is failing in that duty.
Herzog Park renaming controversy
Keogan criticised efforts to rename Herzog Park in Dublin, arguing the park honours Kayam Herzog and that removing his name would erase Jewish‑Irish history. In her remarks she described Kayam Herzog as "a man for black community," a former president of Israel, a progressive politician, and the son of Isaac Herzog, whom she identified as a chief rabbi of Ireland and a fluent Irish speaker who supported independence. She called the campaign to strip the name a deplorable act of erasure and labelled the thinking behind it amateurish and fanatical.
Call for national moral authority
Keogan concluded that simplistic, black‑and‑white attitudes undermine Israel’s right to exist, challenge a two‑state solution and conflate the Jewish people with the sanctions of the current Israeli government. She urged the country to do better if it wants its voice to have moral authority.
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I rise today with a heavy heart to express my deepest condolences and solidarity with the victims of the abhorrent attack at Bondi Beach. On a night meant to illuminate hope and unity, the first evening of Hanukkah, two individuals inspired by Islamic ideology opened fire, killing at least 15 innocent people, including a child, a Holocaust survivor and two rabbis. This grievous act has rightly been condemned as anti-Semitic terrorism. In offering our thoughts and prayers, we must also reflect and seek moral clarity and be watchful of anti-Semitism emerging in our own country. Now, all too often we see extreme Israeli or Zionist voices conflate the Palestinian people with terrorism and extremist groups like Hamas. We rightly reject this rhetoric, which conflates an entire people with the actions and beliefs of a few, as the language of oppression and genocide. But likewise, we must rise above such rhetoric if we are to lead as a moral voice on Gaza. And at the moment, we are failing. I refer, of course, to the push to rename Herzog Park in Dublin. It would be one thing if the park bore the name of Benjamin Nehanyahu, but this park in our historic Jewish neighbourhood honours Kayam Herzog, a man for black community, a former president of Israel, a progressive politician, the son of Isaac Herzog, a chief rabbi of Ireland, who was himself a fluent Irish speaker and supporter of our independence. To strip his name is a deplorable act of erasure against Jewish-Irish history. It reflects a simplistic black-and-white attitude that undermines Israel's right to exist, challenges a two-state solution and conflates the Jewish people with the sanctions of the current Israeli government. This is amateurish, fanatical thinking, and if we want our voice as a nation to have moral authority, we must do better. Go raibh maith agat.
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