Antisemitic violence continues its relentless surge, transforming public spaces into killing fields. This past Sunday, a Hanukkah celebration at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach turned deadly when a father-son duo opened fire on Jewish families and beachgoers, claiming fifteen lives and leaving dozens wounded.
When bullets flew, most people fled or froze—natural reactions with no blame to attach. But one man chose a third option: he ran toward the shooter.
President Donald Trump praised 43-year-old Ahmed al-Ahmad, who disarmed the gunman during the attack in Sydney. “In Australia, you probably read… a very, very brave person… who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives,” Trump stated at a White House Christmas reception. He described the incident as “purely antisemitic.”
Al-Ahmad, who runs a fruit shop in Sydney with two young daughters at home—one three years old, the other six—charged directly at the gunman after the attack began. Footage shows him crouching behind a car before launching himself at the shooter. He wrestled the rifle from the terrorist’s hands and turned it toward him as the attacker retreated.
Al-Ahmad was unarmed due to Australia’s strict gun laws. He took multiple bullets, some still lodged in his shoulder. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him “a real-life hero” whose “incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives.”
Al-Ahmad’s parents are Syrian refugees who moved to Sydney months ago, though he arrived in Australia in 2006. His father stated: “When he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving… He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another.”
The man Trump honored did not wait for help—he saw evil and ran straight toward it. His choice nearly cost him everything.
