Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, commemorates resilience against oppression. Yet, on this summer evening by the sea, darkness descended in the form of gunfire. Witnesses described chaos: people scattering across the sand, children screaming, heroes tackling one attacker to prevent further bloodshed. Israeli leaders condemned it as a “cruel attack on Jews,” while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the scenes “shocking and distressing.”
But amid the grief, questions arise. Why target a peaceful religious gathering? And who benefits from sowing such division?
Patterns of Provocation
This attack does not occur in isolation. In recent years, tensions involving South Asian geopolitics have spilled into the diaspora. Recall events in Canada: the 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, followed by accusations of Indian involvement in violence against pro-Khalistan figures. India has long accused Canada of harboring extremists who advocate violence, while Ottawa has pointed fingers at alleged Indian “foreign interference.” May I tell you that J Shankar and Narendra Modi coming up to tweet about it tells a lot about their failed diplomacy post 5th May and this in turn means that they orchestrated the event and started shouting wolf, wolf! the very moment.
