Daughter of Holocaust survivor wounded in Sydney attack criticizes media, Australian gov’t

Australian Jewish woman whose Holocaust survivor father was wounded in the Sydney massacre lashes out at the country’s leaders and national broadcaster, castigating ABC’s “biased reporting.”

By World Israel News Staff

The daughter of a Holocaust survivor who was wounded during the Bondi Beach Chanukah massacre in Sydney on Sunday lashed out at Australia’s national broadcaster and its political leadership, accusing the government of ignoring the surge in antisemitism since 2023, and slamming ABC‘s “biased reporting.”

Fifteen people were killed during the 10-minute rampage, including Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87.

In addition, some 30 people were wounded, with 24 still hospitalized.

One of them has been identified as Semyon Teplitsky, an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor, who was shot in the leg and seriously wounded during the attack.

With Teplitsky facing a series of surgeries as doctors attempt to save his leg, Teplitsky’s daughter vented frustrations shared by many in the Australian Jewish community regarding the country’s leadership and mainstream media.

Victoria Teplitsky, 53, a retired childcare center operator, said that her father, after surviving the Holocaust and antisemitism in the Soviet Union, moved to Australia so that she and her brother could be raised in an environment where they would not have to hide their Jewishness.

Since October 7, 2023, however, Ms. Teplitsky says Australia has been subjected to an explosion of antisemitism, leaving her and other local Jews reeling.

In an interview with ABC, the country’s national broadcaster, Ms. Teplitsky took aim at both the country’s Labor government and state media – including ABC.

When asked how Australian Jews “are feeling” after the attacks, Teplitsky censured Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong before slamming ABC over its “biased reporting.”

“How are we feeling?” Teplitsky replied incredulously. “Is this what you wanted? is this enough now? Will you listen to us? Albanese, Wong, will you listen to us? Will you actually do something?”

“And ABC, I’ve got to say, will you cut out the biased reporting … will you actually let us have a voice?”

Media outlets such as ABC have failed to cover the harassment of Australian Jews by pro-Hamas activists over the past two years, Teplitsky said, arguing that the lack of media coverage is “part of the reason for the Jewish people have experienced such a massive change in Australia towards us.”

Speaking with Reuters on Tuesday, Teplitsky blasted calls after the attack to tighten Australia’s already restrictive gun ownership laws, rather than address antisemitism.

“It’s not the fact that those two people had a gun. It’s the fact that hatred has been allowed to fester against the Jewish minority in Australia.”

“We are angry at our government because it comes from the top, and they should have stood up for our community with strength. And they should have squashed the hatred rather than kind of letting it slide.”

“We’ve been ignored. We feel like, are we not Australian enough? Do we not matter to our government?”