On Sunday, September 7, 2025, tensions over the Gaza conflict spilled dramatically onto the sands of Sydney’s Bondi Beach and the streets of Berlin, underscoring how the Israel-Palestine debate is reverberating far beyond the Middle East. In Australia, a pro-Israel counter-protest clashed violently with pro-Palestine demonstrators during a paddle-out event organized by Jews Against the Occupation, while in Germany, police arrested a teenage girl at a pro-Palestine protest, fueling concerns about the suppression of dissent and free speech.
According to reporting from The Australian, the Bondi Beach incident erupted during a Father’s Day event meant to show solidarity with Gaza and the Sumud flotilla—a group attempting to bring aid to the besieged territory. The flotilla, which was en route to Tunisia at the time, sought to break through the Israeli blockade. Organizers from Jews Against the Occupation, a Jewish-led pro-Palestine group, called on local boardriders to participate in what they described as a “peaceful event.”
But the atmosphere was anything but peaceful. Michael Gencher, executive director of StandWithUs—a self-described “international and nonpartisan Israel education organisation”—estimated that up to 3,000 Israel supporters, including Jews and other Australians, turned up to make what he called a “bold statement.” Gencher claimed this represented about 10% of Waverley’s 11,000-strong Jewish community, though police did not confirm these numbers. “It’s an incredible number which shows where the community is at in terms of temperament and how they feel about the protests being there,” Gencher told The Australian. “It shows this was a red line—the community just had to come out.”
Despite a heavy police presence—about 10 officers according to Gencher—video footage from the event showed punches being thrown on the steps outside the Bondi Pavilion. Police intervened, attempting to separate the opposing groups. In the chaos, shouts of “deport the lot of them” and “you’re the terrorist here” could be heard, as tempers flared and the situation teetered on the edge of further escalation.
Gencher did not mince words about the risks. “What line are we going to draw before someone gets killed?” he warned. “We see what’s happening across the world, it’s getting worse. We need real action.” He argued that the Jewish community in Bondi felt “very under pressure,” and criticized the authorities for not doing more to prevent what he called “provocation with intent to intimidate, to harass.” While acknowledging that “violence is never the outcome that anyone wanted,” he insisted that “it’s quite obvious this is a powder keg.”
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA), a right-leaning pro-Israel group, echoed these concerns. In a statement, AJA chief executive Robert Gregory called the pro-Palestine protest “an unnecessary provocation” in the heart of Sydney’s Jewish community, pointing to recent antisemitic incidents in the Waverley council area. “Bondi is home to many synagogues, Kosher restaurants and Jewish businesses, some of which have already been targeted in recent antisemitic incidents,” Gregory said. “With more than 100 beaches across Sydney, the decision to choose Bondi was calculated to cause division and disturbance.”
Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh told Sky News that he had written to New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley, urging police to “either control or stop the gathering.” The council, he said, did not receive any “permission” as part of its events policy, and even if an application had been submitted, “we would not accept it.” Nemesh described the protest as a “highly provocative measure to be undertaking at this point in time.”
For their part, Jews Against the Occupation said the event was intended “in honour of the Palestinian Fathers who mourn their murdered children.” In a Facebook post, the group argued that the demonstration showed “there is a strong anti-Zionist Jewish voice speaking out against Israel’s genocide and expansionism.” They also claimed that counter-protesters had “hurled abuse” at demonstrators who created origami boats in reference to the Sumud flotilla, which has become a symbol of solidarity and resistance for many activists.
The Bondi Beach incident is just the latest in a series of heated confrontations across Australia. Since October 7, 2023, when the latest round of violence erupted in Gaza, Sydney has seen weekly marches and rallies, including a massive protest across the Sydney Harbour Bridge that drew more than 90,000 people last month. In Melbourne, an estimated 5,000 people attended an anti-immigration “March for Australia” rally, which also saw violent clashes between neo-Nazis, Antifa, and pro-Palestine counter-protesters. The Waverley council area, home to Bondi, has witnessed a number of alleged antisemitic attacks over the summer, some of which police now allege are linked to a complex criminal plot with ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Meanwhile, across the globe in Berlin, the debate over Israel and Gaza has taken a different, but equally troubling, turn. According to The Irish Times, on the same day as the Bondi Beach clashes, Berlin police arrested a teenage girl, Kitty O’Brien, at a pro-Palestine protest. O’Brien, described as an Irish pro-Palestinian activist, was reportedly sitting passively on the street when police in riot gear lifted her by the arms and legs, carrying her away as they shouted at bystanders. The incident was captured on social media, sparking outrage and concern about the state of free speech in Germany.
Hugo Hamilton, writing for The Irish Times, argued that the arrest of O’Brien and the use of force by Berlin police reflect a broader societal issue in Germany: a growing repression of criticism of Israel in public spaces, universities, and cultural institutions. “When the police in Berlin are seen punching Irish pro-Palestinian activist Kitty O’Brien and reportedly leaving her with a broken arm, you know free speech is not what it used to be in Germany,” Hamilton wrote. He described a climate in which criticism of Israel—especially in relation to Gaza—is increasingly suppressed, but noted that young people are fighting back against this trend.
This crackdown on dissent, Hamilton suggested, is rooted in Germany’s historical fixation on its Nazi past, which has led to a heightened sensitivity around issues of antisemitism and a reluctance to tolerate criticism of Israel. But for many activists, the line between combating antisemitism and stifling legitimate protest has become dangerously blurred.
Back in Sydney, police said they had been in contact with organizers of the Bondi Beach protests throughout the day. “The NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly,” a spokesman said in a statement. “The priority of police is to provide a safe environment for attendees and the wider community. Attendees were generally well-behaved and compliant with police. Inquiries into an incident between two groups on Bondi Beach yesterday are ongoing.”
As the world watches these flashpoints from Bondi to Berlin, the challenge for democratic societies remains: how to balance the right to protest and free expression with the need to maintain public order and protect vulnerable communities. The events of September 7, 2025, serve as a stark reminder that the Israel-Palestine conflict is not just a distant geopolitical struggle—it is a deeply personal and often polarizing issue that continues to test the boundaries of tolerance, security, and free speech around the globe.
