Since the terror attack at the Chanukah by the Sea 2025 event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, public Hanukkah celebrations around the world have been tightening security, including events here in the United States. But an eyewitness account from Sunday’s attack suggests that even a visible security presence can fail when it matters most.
One survivor described a prolonged, methodical assault carried out in full view of police officers who, he says, never intervened. Witness Shmulik Scuri told a reporter that the shooters carried out their attack for what he estimated was 20 minutes, and the police did nothing.
“There was, there was two shooters, one on the bridge, one under the bridge, and just start to shoot for 20 minutes,” he said. The gunmen fired repeatedly, paused to reload, and resumed without interruption. “They shoot, shoot, change, change the magazine, and just shoot.”
What left Scuri shaken was what he says did not happen. Police were present, yet no one returned fire. “Uh, simple as that. Twenty minutes. There was four policemen there. Nobody give fire back,” he said.
As the shooting continued, Scuri hid with his children while watching one of the attackers operate with chilling calm. “I was with two of my babies under me, and I look at them, and he’s just rifle and a, and a pistol, and just shoot, shoot,” he said. He watched the gunman reload and fire again and again, while another attacker moved closer from below the bridge toward the Odeon area.
One of the shooters was ultimately stopped by a civilian. Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit seller, took cover behind parked cars before charging the gunman from behind. In a video that has since gone viral on social media, Al Ahmed is seen wrestling the firearm away from the attacker. He is now being hailed as a hero who likely saved countless lives.
Shocking footage of how this HERO saved multiple lives today on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia 🙏🏻#bondibeach pic.twitter.com/ssH8A24uOp
— MAGA Kitty (@SaveUSAKitty) December 14, 2025
“One of, I think one of the people come, took his rifle, and shoot him. That’s one of them. That’s what I saw,” Scuri said, noting the chaos made it hard to fully process everything.
When asked who was being targeted, Scuri was unequivocal. “Oh, oh, the crowd. Anyone Jewish, just shoot. Doesn’t matter who,” he said. “Man, old, kids, everyone.”
Scuri also said he was unable to hear what the shooters were saying because the noise of the gunfire drowned out any words the attackers might have said.
From where he stood near a tent, he could clearly observe one gunman taking deliberate aim. “He aim, he did, he really like take his time. Each shoot, take his time,” Scuri said.
He returned repeatedly to the same question, unable to reconcile what he witnessed. Police were there. The shooting went on. “And four policemen there didn’t give fire back,” he said. “I don’t understand why. Why?”
NEW: Bondi Beach terror attack survivor says police officers did nothing for 20 minutes while the terrorists opened fire, says they didn’t fire back.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 14, 2025
“They shoot, shoot, change the magazine and just shoot,” said witness Shmulik Scuri.
“20 minutes. [There] was four policemen… pic.twitter.com/SHILuMcLHQ
Scuri’s account of police inaction once again exposes the fantasy at the heart of gun control. Advocates insist that armed law enforcement provides all the protection the public needs. Reality tells a different story. In most emergencies, police arrive too late to make a difference. At Bondi Beach, officers were already on the scene and, according to Scuri, still failed to stop the shooters.
Australia’s sweeping gun restrictions make the point even clearer. The idea that police can always protect civilians in an emergency collapses the moment theory meets real life. When seconds matter, promises and policies offer no shield at all.
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