75% of responders to Ramallah News story cursed Bondi Beach hero for saving Jewish lives, PMW reports

Only about 20% of commenters described Ahmed as a hero, with those posts citing Islamic teachings that emphasize the duty to protect innocent life.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A Syrian-Australian man who was wounded while disarming one of the gunmen in last week’s terrorist attack at a Chanukah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach has become the target of online abuse from Palestinian commenters angered that he intervened to save Jewish lives, according to a new analysis.

Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, rushed toward one of the shooters during the attack and wrestled a rifle away, suffering serious injuries to his left arm in the process. While his actions were widely praised internationally, an examination of online reactions by the Israeli-based watchdog Palestinian Media Watch found a sharply different response on a Ramallah News report about his actions.

According to PMW, more than 1,000 comments were posted in response to the Ramallah News article, with roughly three-quarters expressing hostility toward Ahmed. Many commenters denounced him as a traitor and questioned his faith, while others called for him to die from his wounds. “I wish (the bullet) hit your heart,” one commenter wrote. “May Allah not heal you,” another said.

Ahron Shapiro, an Australian and senior researcher at PMW, said the volume and intensity of the responses were striking. He told The Australian that while Ahmed’s actions were treated elsewhere as a rare moment of humanity amid mass violence, the majority of commenters reacted with rage that a Muslim man had intervened on behalf of Jews.

Some users accused Ahmed of betraying his religion “for the safety of Jews,” while others spread conspiracy theories alleging the Bondi Beach attack was orchestrated by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Several comments explicitly praised the attackers, including Sajid Akram, who police say carried out the Islamic State-inspired assault alongside his son.

Only about 20% of commenters described Ahmed as a hero, with those posts citing Islamic teachings that emphasize the duty to protect innocent life.

The Bondi Beach shooting killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, and wounded dozens more, making it Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly 30 years. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while his son, Naveed, has been charged with multiple offenses, including murder and terrorism-related crimes.

Despite the hostile commentary, the Palestinian Authority issued a statement condemning the shooting as an act of “extremism and terrorism,” though it did not note that the victims were Jews celebrating Chanukah.

Ahmed told reporters this week that he does not regret his actions. He is recovering in hospital as support pours in from around the world, with more than $1.5 million raised for the father of two, who owns a local tobacco shop in Sydney.