After Sydney massacre, Trump urges Jews to ‘celebrate Chanukah proudly’

President Trump tells US Jews to be proud following deadly mass shooting attack on a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump urged American Jews to celebrate Chanukah proudly, following the massacre of Jews at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia’s Bondi Beach over the weekend.

“Celebrate proudly – be proud of who you are,” Trump said to Fox News on Sunday.

The president also released a statement marking the holiday, vowing that his administration would continue to “stand firmly with the Jewish people and defend the right of every believer to worship freely and without fear of persecution.”

The White House’s statement also cited George Washington’s letter to the Jewish community of Newport, pledging that each citizen “shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

At a pre-Christmas event at the White House, Trump offered his condolences to relatives of those slain in the Sydney attack.

“In Australia, as you know, there was a terrible attack. Eleven dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an antisemitic attack, obviously. And it, I just want to pay my respects to everybody.”

Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, a convert to Judaism, cited the Bondi Beach shooting attack Sunday in a post to her X account on the first night of Chanukah.

“As Jews around the world gather around our menorahs on this first night of Hanukkah, we are reminded how desperately the world needs more light and more Kiddush Hashem,” Ivanka wrote.

“The heartbreaking tragedies in Bondi Beach, Australia and at Brown University weigh heavily on all of us. It is unimaginable to fathom the pain these families are enduring, and our hearts are with every loved one affected.”

“Hanukkah teaches that even in the darkest moments, a single flame has the power to push back overwhelming darkness. Tonight, may our lights shine in honor of those we lost, in solidarity with their families, and as a commitment to bring more compassion, integrity, and holiness into the world. May we each become a source of light where it is most needed.”