Thoughts and prayers have become America’s ritual of surrender; comforting the powerful, silencing accountability, and ensuring the next memorial is already being planned.
Please listen. The Australia rampage was not just about gun violence. It was about Jew hatred. Please don’t ignore that and pretend it doesn’t exist. That’s why Jews are being targeted if they didn’t have guns, they would use spears or knives or bombs or anything they could to kill Jews
Mr Lewis. If you are going to share your views, at least get your facts right. If you had done that you would know that the father and son killers were both Muslim as was the heroic Mr. Ahmed al-Ahmed.
Are you f’in kidding. Blame the victim. Many do that. The guns do not act in isolation. And can you possibly or even rationally claim that there is not that much antisemitism or Jew hatred that motivates the every increasing crimes against Jewish people?
What gives you the right to decree the elimination of a nation? It is one thing to be anti-Semitic, something you understand well, but to demand a UN-created country cease to exist? Just how would you do that? More murder? Any other countries on your list? As for your unsupported declaration that “Israel is the world's leading cause of anti-jewish feeling,” is that something you learned when you were awarded a Ph.D. in Theology or in a comic book? What are “Real Jews”? Are there “Fake Jews”? Maybe only Jews you like? Do you speak as a Jew or offer your condemnation of what others “should” be/do from the bubble comprising your limited existence separate and apart from reality? Your incoherent bigotry and sophistry are astonishing. You are beyond hope, but spare us your hate-filled bile.
Bob Lewis, where did you get the information about the shooter (actually plural, father and son) in Australia? Link, please.
Here's what I found: "Though officials did not name the father, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and other media, including the BBC, identified him as Sajid Akram. Akram had previously been investigated for ties to the Islamic State, according to The Independent. Two flags of the militant group the Islamic State were also found in the gunmen's vehicle, the ABC reported." https://ca.news.yahoo.com/were-shooters-attack-australia-bondi-163734051.html
As to your statements about Israelis doing "these things" "to scare non Zionist Jews" and that Canada has had "several examples of antisemitism on Jewish businesses and then it turns out the owner did it," please provide links substantiating the "many countries" where "these things" have been proven to have happened, and to the "several examples" in Canada.
That’s patently false. Firstly, there were two shooters, not one. They’re a Muslim father and son with an allegiance to ISIS. This isn’t me making it a Muslim thing, though, because the hero was also Muslim. It’s just a fact, like that is. They are definitely not Israelis. They’re Australian arabs. This is where people like you loose support, by just making shit up, and using a fucking tragedy to score ideological points. I am Australia - I know people that were there.
Stop lying like all those other anti-Israel protesters on the streets. The killer was an Arab. I will not say anything more to you because you are obviously antisemitic. I am a Zionist Jew and I am proud of it.
American foreign policy and our world lens is one via Zionism. It was the Israelis who stole nuclear weapons technology from us. It was Netanyahu that first weaponized Mossad (who initially put up a stiff resistance).
But why make it easier, for anyone? The idea that guns don't play a significant role in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, for any reason, is the comments of ignorance. Try harder. Be less selfish and more educated. Humanity requires it, so adhere!!
But you chose to ignore the target of the violence. Many years ago, Leonard Berkowitz showed that the presence of a gun increases the likelihood of aggression, . But if you leave out the rampant antisemitism here and everywhere., then you’re missing a big part. Why do you think Jews are afraid now? It’s not because they’re afraid of guns. It’s because they’re afraid of hatred and the ugly face antisemitism.
So, only us Jews are targets for gun violence?? Michaels post was about the feckless actions of our politicians, here in the US. More children are slaughtered here than Jews. I am not in fear of gun violence, as a Jew. I fear white supremacy and christian nationalism, especially knowing our unchecked gun fetish in this country. Jews are one of many victims. This was a tragic event, one that should spark change, not only to gun laws, but in how we choose our politicians and leaders. Their behavior is the catalyst for a lot of what is wrong in the world. Our votes can change that.
This was not the appropriate time to talk about gun violence. It seems very insensitive to the fact that those who were killed were celebrating Hanukkah and yes, in fact, they were Jewish.
Maybe, but if you watched the footage, you would have seen the gunman run away from face to face confrontation with the hero who disarmed him. He then went back to his guns, where he could kill more people from a cowardly distance. You cannot tell me that guns are not a huge part of the problem!
Gloria, I'm Australian. I'm guessing you're not. I've heard this stupid argument about "they would have used other weapons" ad nauseum. It's bullshit. The father had licenses for each of the six guns they used. That's a hell of a lot of guns for someone living in the suburbs. These loopholes and many more that Michael mentioned in his article are going to be dealt with because of the decisive action of our Prime Minister. Six guns for them to kill as many people as they could. If he had one gun, the carnage would have been less. So, PLEASE LISTEN, this act of terrorism on our soil was most definitely about guns. And ideology; the shooters were radicalised by ISIS. These are facts. Stop projecting your American "guns are not the problem" shit onto us. We are not you. We don't want to be like you. Antisemitism has been on the rise in Australia but so has Islamophobia and our First Nations people have been dealing with white hatred and violence since this country was first invaded. But we have the powers, the desire and most importantly the leadership to curtail this rise. The people fostering hatred and intolerance in their hearts are a minority here. And we aim to do whatever the hell we can to make it stay that way. Bondi was a religious attack made possible by the perpetrators access to multiple guns.
Yes! Antisemitism, sudden rage, mental illness, bigotry...the underlying emotional reasons for violence are many. But GUNS are what have the ability to turn those feelings and beliefs into quick lethality. They are more restrainable, and should be.
Gloria, how dare you try and tell me what my country is doing. Every single comment of yours on this post has been aggressive and hateful. You're an appalling person. Everyone who has replied to you has presented a logical well written argument and you have arrogantly and rudely replied with...nothing. No argument, no justification for what you are saying, just abuse and arrogant dismissal. My god, you've even outed yourself as a proud Zionist. I wonder how many people you have in your life that love you. Truly love you. I'm not wasting anymore of my time on such a vile person.
You want to include all the issues. It is diluting the fact that that innocent Jews I increasingly targeted solely because they are Jews. Perhaps you oughta think about why you’re not afraid.
To hell with thoughts and prayers. It's time we react with rage and intolerance. You can take the second amendment and shove it up your gun-toting, tobacco chewing, ignorant maga asses. Screw the NRA and screw the lawmakers that are beholden to them. (And I know gun owners aren't all maga.)
Yet another thing we'll have to fix after fall of the regime.
You would think we could at least consider what Canada does. It has plenty of wild areas, and plenty of hunters and target aficionados. Somehow, they don't have the scourge of mass shootings anywhere the level we do.
I know I am going to get anger for saying this but I am so tired of hearing the lame excuses of oh, but it's in our Constitution that it's our right to bear arms. Sweeties, don't be ridiculous. The Constitution was written when? During times when men needed rifles to hunt for food, when the government needed men in the military to fight any wars that came up. And that is the only reason that was written into the Constitution. I also imagine the men who wrote the Constitution had no idea about the types of weapons that are being made today. These weapons of destruction that obliterate what children used to look like. I would love for the NRA to have to go and look at the victims of the weapons of war. I would love for our politicians to have to go and identify the remains of the victims. I do not understand why people in cities need guns. Only people in the military and I can see farmers and people living off the land who hunt to eat what animals they kill. Those are the only people that should have a gun. I am sick and tired of seeing innocent children, innocent people being killed by thoughtless and irresponsible and cruel people holding guns.
Well said and I will probably get in trouble too but when someone uses” it’s in the Constitution,” why don’t we give them a musket ? Leave weapons of war to people who are serving in the military! Just my opinion.
The Democratic Party has a real problem. They were formed to help the little guy have an equal voice with the powers of the economy, and to promote the individuals rights. The problem is essentially that most of the issues of wage discrepancy leading to poverty have been solved. Instead, they have substituted the policies of government incursion into their lives and putting regulations over their heads and thereby creating a new class of dependent people. That costs our country and the world, the talent and genius that lies within those communities. It stifles their upward mobility. It breeds a sense of dependency and reduces self-worth. Period so recently, they have opened the floodgates to the rest of the world’s poor, because they need them to need them. I say this from someone who comes from a multigenerational family of Democrats, and has had family member family members in the government positions of leadership, and union leadership up to an including the president of an international union of some considerable size. It is a failure of their leadership and an inbreeding of a sense of victimhood that they exploited. They must develop new ideas and innovative, new ways and economically more viable new ways to help those in need of help and to justify many of the programs that simply cripple us more and more as a society.
What saddens me about this whole gun thing is the people screaming “we have a right!!” When I was working in a hospital based home health agency, we had a form to fill out and have the patient sign—same one they do for both in and out patients at the hospital. It’s called a rights and responsibility form. Everyone has a right to be treated with dignity, be taught about what their diagnosis and treatment are and to be an active part in their own treatment. Nobody has the right to be verbally or physically abusive. There are rights and responsibilities to everything in our lives and there are no rights without following thru with the responsibilities. I grew up in an anti gun household. I never met anyone who had the respect of what a gun can do or followed thru with all the responsibilities of owning a gun until I met my husband. He quit the NRA— why? Because he said all they cared about were the rights, they no longer cared about the responsibilities. To me that’s a huge chunk of the problem, there are no rights without following thru with the responsibilities. Guns aren’t trophies, they’re weapons, too often lethal to humans who have the right to be alive and not afraid. Until we start treating them with responsibility, nobody should have the right to own one. (My husband sold all his hunting rifles and shotguns and ammunition before he passed away 4 years ago. I am forever grateful for that and miss him.)
Leslie, I am so sorry for the loss of your husband and understand his reason for leaving the NRA!So hoping when the Dems finally take over they will have the gun laws changed to finally protect the American people!
Democrats and others should be fighting every day for gun control. It does not have to be this way. The only reason it is, is because those in charge want it to be. They couldn’t care less how many children are gunned down.
"Australia, a country of 28 million people, is home to about 117,000 Jews. Figures from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) show that antisemitic incidents in Australia have reached historically high levels, at “almost five times the average annual number before October 7, 2023.” The group documented 1,654 anti‑Jewish incidents across Australia between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, in addition to 2,062 incidents nationwide the year before."
As to the timing, I wasn't there, but this is what CNN says:
"Two individuals opened fire on a “crowded group of families” at 6:47 p.m. local time, according to New South Wales (NSW) Police. Ten minutes later, at 6:57 p.m. local time, police said on social media they were responding to a “developing incident” at the beach and urged the public to avoid the area.... In an update at 7:14 p.m. local time, police said their “operation” was continuing and asked people in the area to “take shelter until we can determine what is happening.”
Thanks Michael: Clearly stated. Maybe the Supreme Court could mess with the second amendment too. They seem to want to re-write other constitutional issues like birthright citizenship. I seem the NRA is the forth branch of government. You want a seat in government , just call the NRA for some funds. Imagine getting a reset trigger lock for your Glock34 and turn it into a machine gun.
There is a Jew hatred problem, here and abroad. Guns don’t kill people by themselves. It shocks me that you, Michael Cohen, a Jewish man would ignore that. If they don’t have guns, they use bombs if they don’t have bombs, they use knives please don’t write any more essays, leaving out the object of the violence.
Thank you for stating what all clear thinking people know to be true: It’s the guns. Weapons of war do not belong in the hands of general citizens.
Please listen. The Australia rampage was not just about gun violence. It was about Jew hatred. Please don’t ignore that and pretend it doesn’t exist. That’s why Jews are being targeted if they didn’t have guns, they would use spears or knives or bombs or anything they could to kill Jews
But the shooter was Israeli.
The man who risked his life to stop him was a Muslim.
Israelis have been known to do these things in many countries to scare non Zionist Jews to flee to Israel.
Israelis are leaving the country faster than immigrants coming in .
And the IDF are all PTSD or suicidal.
In Canada we've seen several examples of antisemitism on Jewish businesses and then it turns out the owner did it.
Mr Lewis. If you are going to share your views, at least get your facts right. If you had done that you would know that the father and son killers were both Muslim as was the heroic Mr. Ahmed al-Ahmed.
Are you f’in kidding. Blame the victim. Many do that. The guns do not act in isolation. And can you possibly or even rationally claim that there is not that much antisemitism or Jew hatred that motivates the every increasing crimes against Jewish people?
Yes, Gloria, there has been a huge rise in antisemitism since October 7, but that's been orchestrated by Israel.
Israel is the world's leading cause of anti-jewish feeling.
Real Jews need to stand up and say
NO TO ZIONISM, NO TO ISRAEL.
What gives you the right to decree the elimination of a nation? It is one thing to be anti-Semitic, something you understand well, but to demand a UN-created country cease to exist? Just how would you do that? More murder? Any other countries on your list? As for your unsupported declaration that “Israel is the world's leading cause of anti-jewish feeling,” is that something you learned when you were awarded a Ph.D. in Theology or in a comic book? What are “Real Jews”? Are there “Fake Jews”? Maybe only Jews you like? Do you speak as a Jew or offer your condemnation of what others “should” be/do from the bubble comprising your limited existence separate and apart from reality? Your incoherent bigotry and sophistry are astonishing. You are beyond hope, but spare us your hate-filled bile.
Bob Lewis, where did you get the information about the shooter (actually plural, father and son) in Australia? Link, please.
Here's what I found: "Though officials did not name the father, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and other media, including the BBC, identified him as Sajid Akram. Akram had previously been investigated for ties to the Islamic State, according to The Independent. Two flags of the militant group the Islamic State were also found in the gunmen's vehicle, the ABC reported." https://ca.news.yahoo.com/were-shooters-attack-australia-bondi-163734051.html
As to your statements about Israelis doing "these things" "to scare non Zionist Jews" and that Canada has had "several examples of antisemitism on Jewish businesses and then it turns out the owner did it," please provide links substantiating the "many countries" where "these things" have been proven to have happened, and to the "several examples" in Canada.
Well said! Whenever MTN reports anything they provide sources and we must hold our comments to the same standards.
That’s patently false. Firstly, there were two shooters, not one. They’re a Muslim father and son with an allegiance to ISIS. This isn’t me making it a Muslim thing, though, because the hero was also Muslim. It’s just a fact, like that is. They are definitely not Israelis. They’re Australian arabs. This is where people like you loose support, by just making shit up, and using a fucking tragedy to score ideological points. I am Australia - I know people that were there.
Stop lying like all those other anti-Israel protesters on the streets. The killer was an Arab. I will not say anything more to you because you are obviously antisemitic. I am a Zionist Jew and I am proud of it.
American foreign policy and our world lens is one via Zionism. It was the Israelis who stole nuclear weapons technology from us. It was Netanyahu that first weaponized Mossad (who initially put up a stiff resistance).
I choose not to respond to anti-Zionists. That’s just another outlet for Jew hatred.
Paranoid
I don’t believe you.
But why make it easier, for anyone? The idea that guns don't play a significant role in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, for any reason, is the comments of ignorance. Try harder. Be less selfish and more educated. Humanity requires it, so adhere!!
You have tunnel vision. I know that guns are a problem, but would you claim that you hatred is not part of the problem would you dare say that?
Not sure what you mean by 'tunnel vision.' Guns are the problem. Anti-Semitism is 'a problem.' Both can be absolute truth, at the same time.
But you chose to ignore the target of the violence. Many years ago, Leonard Berkowitz showed that the presence of a gun increases the likelihood of aggression, . But if you leave out the rampant antisemitism here and everywhere., then you’re missing a big part. Why do you think Jews are afraid now? It’s not because they’re afraid of guns. It’s because they’re afraid of hatred and the ugly face antisemitism.
So, only us Jews are targets for gun violence?? Michaels post was about the feckless actions of our politicians, here in the US. More children are slaughtered here than Jews. I am not in fear of gun violence, as a Jew. I fear white supremacy and christian nationalism, especially knowing our unchecked gun fetish in this country. Jews are one of many victims. This was a tragic event, one that should spark change, not only to gun laws, but in how we choose our politicians and leaders. Their behavior is the catalyst for a lot of what is wrong in the world. Our votes can change that.
This was not the appropriate time to talk about gun violence. It seems very insensitive to the fact that those who were killed were celebrating Hanukkah and yes, in fact, they were Jewish.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BsrxH2wwE/
Maybe, but if you watched the footage, you would have seen the gunman run away from face to face confrontation with the hero who disarmed him. He then went back to his guns, where he could kill more people from a cowardly distance. You cannot tell me that guns are not a huge part of the problem!
Gloria, I'm Australian. I'm guessing you're not. I've heard this stupid argument about "they would have used other weapons" ad nauseum. It's bullshit. The father had licenses for each of the six guns they used. That's a hell of a lot of guns for someone living in the suburbs. These loopholes and many more that Michael mentioned in his article are going to be dealt with because of the decisive action of our Prime Minister. Six guns for them to kill as many people as they could. If he had one gun, the carnage would have been less. So, PLEASE LISTEN, this act of terrorism on our soil was most definitely about guns. And ideology; the shooters were radicalised by ISIS. These are facts. Stop projecting your American "guns are not the problem" shit onto us. We are not you. We don't want to be like you. Antisemitism has been on the rise in Australia but so has Islamophobia and our First Nations people have been dealing with white hatred and violence since this country was first invaded. But we have the powers, the desire and most importantly the leadership to curtail this rise. The people fostering hatred and intolerance in their hearts are a minority here. And we aim to do whatever the hell we can to make it stay that way. Bondi was a religious attack made possible by the perpetrators access to multiple guns.
Yes! Antisemitism, sudden rage, mental illness, bigotry...the underlying emotional reasons for violence are many. But GUNS are what have the ability to turn those feelings and beliefs into quick lethality. They are more restrainable, and should be.
Yes Gloria, one of the victims survived the Holocaust and then was murdered in his late 80’s for being Jewish!
Sorry. I don’t think the target is irrelevant. And your country does nothing to curb hatred rhetoric.
Gloria, how dare you try and tell me what my country is doing. Every single comment of yours on this post has been aggressive and hateful. You're an appalling person. Everyone who has replied to you has presented a logical well written argument and you have arrogantly and rudely replied with...nothing. No argument, no justification for what you are saying, just abuse and arrogant dismissal. My god, you've even outed yourself as a proud Zionist. I wonder how many people you have in your life that love you. Truly love you. I'm not wasting anymore of my time on such a vile person.
You want to include all the issues. It is diluting the fact that that innocent Jews I increasingly targeted solely because they are Jews. Perhaps you oughta think about why you’re not afraid.
This is the choice made by the GOP. They really don’t care about your kids only about campaign donations
To hell with thoughts and prayers. It's time we react with rage and intolerance. You can take the second amendment and shove it up your gun-toting, tobacco chewing, ignorant maga asses. Screw the NRA and screw the lawmakers that are beholden to them. (And I know gun owners aren't all maga.)
Yet another thing we'll have to fix after fall of the regime.
It's true. All true. And the GOP is beholden more to the gun lobby than to their constituents.
You would think we could at least consider what Canada does. It has plenty of wild areas, and plenty of hunters and target aficionados. Somehow, they don't have the scourge of mass shootings anywhere the level we do.
I know I am going to get anger for saying this but I am so tired of hearing the lame excuses of oh, but it's in our Constitution that it's our right to bear arms. Sweeties, don't be ridiculous. The Constitution was written when? During times when men needed rifles to hunt for food, when the government needed men in the military to fight any wars that came up. And that is the only reason that was written into the Constitution. I also imagine the men who wrote the Constitution had no idea about the types of weapons that are being made today. These weapons of destruction that obliterate what children used to look like. I would love for the NRA to have to go and look at the victims of the weapons of war. I would love for our politicians to have to go and identify the remains of the victims. I do not understand why people in cities need guns. Only people in the military and I can see farmers and people living off the land who hunt to eat what animals they kill. Those are the only people that should have a gun. I am sick and tired of seeing innocent children, innocent people being killed by thoughtless and irresponsible and cruel people holding guns.
Sylvia, so perfectly shared!
Well said and I will probably get in trouble too but when someone uses” it’s in the Constitution,” why don’t we give them a musket ? Leave weapons of war to people who are serving in the military! Just my opinion.
25 years of Republican thoughts and prayers. Republicans answer is more guns!
The Democratic Party has a real problem. They were formed to help the little guy have an equal voice with the powers of the economy, and to promote the individuals rights. The problem is essentially that most of the issues of wage discrepancy leading to poverty have been solved. Instead, they have substituted the policies of government incursion into their lives and putting regulations over their heads and thereby creating a new class of dependent people. That costs our country and the world, the talent and genius that lies within those communities. It stifles their upward mobility. It breeds a sense of dependency and reduces self-worth. Period so recently, they have opened the floodgates to the rest of the world’s poor, because they need them to need them. I say this from someone who comes from a multigenerational family of Democrats, and has had family member family members in the government positions of leadership, and union leadership up to an including the president of an international union of some considerable size. It is a failure of their leadership and an inbreeding of a sense of victimhood that they exploited. They must develop new ideas and innovative, new ways and economically more viable new ways to help those in need of help and to justify many of the programs that simply cripple us more and more as a society.
What saddens me about this whole gun thing is the people screaming “we have a right!!” When I was working in a hospital based home health agency, we had a form to fill out and have the patient sign—same one they do for both in and out patients at the hospital. It’s called a rights and responsibility form. Everyone has a right to be treated with dignity, be taught about what their diagnosis and treatment are and to be an active part in their own treatment. Nobody has the right to be verbally or physically abusive. There are rights and responsibilities to everything in our lives and there are no rights without following thru with the responsibilities. I grew up in an anti gun household. I never met anyone who had the respect of what a gun can do or followed thru with all the responsibilities of owning a gun until I met my husband. He quit the NRA— why? Because he said all they cared about were the rights, they no longer cared about the responsibilities. To me that’s a huge chunk of the problem, there are no rights without following thru with the responsibilities. Guns aren’t trophies, they’re weapons, too often lethal to humans who have the right to be alive and not afraid. Until we start treating them with responsibility, nobody should have the right to own one. (My husband sold all his hunting rifles and shotguns and ammunition before he passed away 4 years ago. I am forever grateful for that and miss him.)
Leslie, I am so sorry for the loss of your husband and understand his reason for leaving the NRA!So hoping when the Dems finally take over they will have the gun laws changed to finally protect the American people!
Democrats and others should be fighting every day for gun control. It does not have to be this way. The only reason it is, is because those in charge want it to be. They couldn’t care less how many children are gunned down.
Michael, you are the most eloquent commentator in the country. Thank you.
Time Magazine says this: https://time.com/7340731/anti-semitism-australia-bondi-attack/
"Australia, a country of 28 million people, is home to about 117,000 Jews. Figures from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) show that antisemitic incidents in Australia have reached historically high levels, at “almost five times the average annual number before October 7, 2023.” The group documented 1,654 anti‑Jewish incidents across Australia between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, in addition to 2,062 incidents nationwide the year before."
As to the timing, I wasn't there, but this is what CNN says:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/15/australia/australia-bondi-beach-shooting-vis-intl
"Two individuals opened fire on a “crowded group of families” at 6:47 p.m. local time, according to New South Wales (NSW) Police. Ten minutes later, at 6:57 p.m. local time, police said on social media they were responding to a “developing incident” at the beach and urged the public to avoid the area.... In an update at 7:14 p.m. local time, police said their “operation” was continuing and asked people in the area to “take shelter until we can determine what is happening.”
And here is disturbing eyewitness account of police inaction: https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bondi-beach-survivors-shocking-claim-about-police-inaction-during-20-minutes-terror-1762889
Thanks Michael: Clearly stated. Maybe the Supreme Court could mess with the second amendment too. They seem to want to re-write other constitutional issues like birthright citizenship. I seem the NRA is the forth branch of government. You want a seat in government , just call the NRA for some funds. Imagine getting a reset trigger lock for your Glock34 and turn it into a machine gun.
There is a Jew hatred problem, here and abroad. Guns don’t kill people by themselves. It shocks me that you, Michael Cohen, a Jewish man would ignore that. If they don’t have guns, they use bombs if they don’t have bombs, they use knives please don’t write any more essays, leaving out the object of the violence.
💙💙💙
Love your commentaries Michael. You are absolutely right. Thank you.