Oprah censured for ignoring antisemitism in Sydney massacre

“Misguided obfuscation allows antisemitism to flourish” – Former US antisemitism czar chides Oprah Winfrey over her reaction to the Sydney Chanukah massacre, which failed to mention Jews or antisemitism. 

By World Israel News Staff

Television personality Oprah Winfrey faced criticism this week after she weighed in on the massacre of Jews at an event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday marking the beginning of the Chanukah festival without mentioning antisemitism or the fact that the terrorists behind the attack singled out Jews.

On Sunday, Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid, 50, opened fire on a Chanukah celebration at the Bondi Pavilion, using at least six different firearms during the rampage, murdering 16 attendees, including a Chabad rabbi, and wounding roughly 30, including several police officers.

The two terrorists had ISIS flags in their vehicle, and reportedly traveled to the Philippines to receive military-style training at an ISIS camp.

A day after the massacre, Winfrey, a billionaire television host and producer, issued a statement via her social media accounts, including Instagram and Facebook, lamenting the attack while noting her recent trip to Australia, including a visit to Bondi Beach.

“I just spent the last 2 weeks in Australia, walking Bondi just days ago feeling the openness and ease that lives there,” Winfrey wrote. “It’s hard to reconcile that sense of peace with the terror of last night. My heart breaks for the victims, their families and loved ones, and all you Aussies.”

Hours later, former US antisemitism czar Elan S. Carr chided Winfrey for failing to make any mention of the antisemitic nature of the deadly attack.

“Oprah’s neglect to name the actual targets and victims of the attack – Jews celebrating Chanukah – conceals both the true nature of this horrific event and the appalling surge in antisemitism that gave rise to it,” said Carr, who served as US special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism under President Donald Trump.

“For a public figure to express sorrow over the attack without saying that it was an antisemitic mass murder of Jews during their celebration of a holiday is precisely the sort of misguided obfuscation that allows antisemitism to flourish.”

Carr, who now heads the Israeli-American Council CEO, offered to meet with Oprah to engage in dialogue about antisemitism.

“I invite Oprah to meet with us and discuss the ongoing epidemic of antisemitism since Oct. 7, our response, and how she can use her enormous influence to make a difference in this fight,” Carr said.

“All decent people must take a principled and forceful stand not only against all forms of hate, but against Jew-hatred specifically.”