Former Hamas hostage warned Australian leaders about dangers of antisemitism months before Bondi Beach attack

A erstwhile Hamas hostage told Fox News Digital that helium warned Australian leaders to instrumentality antisemitism much earnestly months earlier the deadly shooting astatine Bondi Beach.

Eli Sharabi, who spent 491 days arsenic a hostage successful Gaza, said the onslaught connected Bondi Beach was "crazy," but acold from unpredictable. Sharabi told Fox News Digital that portion successful Australia successful June, helium met with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong and warned them that rising antisemitism would pb to thing worse.

Sharabi recalled telling the officials that a hatred transgression would instrumentality spot successful Australia and that helium would "see the fears" of Jewish radical walking connected the streets. He urged them to talk retired against antisemitism earlier it was excessively late.

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Rabbi Yossi Friedman speaks to radical gathering astatine a angiosperm memorial by the Bondi Pavilion astatine Bondi Beach connected Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, pursuing a shooting successful Sydney, Australia.  (Mark Baker/AP Photo)

He recounted to Fox News Digital the infinitesimal helium told Marles and Wong, "When it happens, a hatred transgression here, it volition beryllium your work due to the fact that you person to person a stronger dependable against antisemitism." Though, Sharabi said helium did not cognize wherefore helium told them that astatine the time.

"Unfortunately, it happened. And that's crazy, it's crazy. Really, I'm truthful atrocious for that," helium said.

A spokesperson for Wong said that she "deeply appreciated her gathering with Eli Sharabi and acknowledgment him for sharing his insights and experiences."

"Minister Wong has consistently condemned antisemitism and antisemitic attacks," the spokesperson said. "In effect to the horrific antisemitic panic onslaught astatine Bondi, we are further strengthening laws against those who dispersed antisemitism and online abuse, ensuring our acquisition strategy decently responds to antisemitism, and lowering the threshold to cancel visas for those who travel to Australia to dispersed antisemitism."

The spokesperson besides conveyed Wong's sympathies to the loved ones of the Bondi Beach shooting victims.

Sharabi told Fox News Digital that the onslaught connected a Hanukkah solemnisation astatine Bondi Beach that near astatine slightest 15 dormant and dozens wounded, reminded him of the persecution of European Jews successful the 1940s.

"Suddenly you consciousness similar it's the 1940s again, and we are successful 2025, 90 years later, each these things are happening again," Sharabi said.

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A subordinate of the Jewish assemblage reacts arsenic helium walks with constabulary toward the country of a shooting astatine Bondi Beach successful Sydney connected Dec. 14, 2025. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)

On Feb. 8, 2025, Sharabi was released from Hamas captivity, 491 days aft helium was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be'eri during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. He did not cognize until aft helium was freed that his wife, Lianne, and their daughters, Noiya and Yahel, had been killed erstwhile Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.

Since his release, Sharabi has traveled the satellite speaking to Jewish communities, satellite leaders and assorted audiences astir his acquisition arsenic a hostage, thing helium recounted successful his book, "Hostage," which has been translated into aggregate languages.

Israeli hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami were handed implicit to the International Committee of the Red Cross by Hamas nether a ceasefire and captive speech statement with Israel, successful Deir al Balah, Gaza, connected Feb. 8, 2025. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)

After helium was released, helium learned that portion helium was successful the hands of terrorists, determination were radical astir the satellite praying for him and demanding helium and the different hostages beryllium freed.

He said that portion helium was successful the infirmary successful the days pursuing his release, helium was dilatory exposed to the enactment that radical successful Israel and astir the satellite did to advocator for him and the different hostages. It started with revelations astir his household and friends, past his realization that radical successful Israel and astir the satellite besides took portion successful the combat for his release.

He soon joined the fight, advocating for the merchandise of each hostages, including Alon Ohel, idiosyncratic who Sharabi bonded with during his clip successful captivity.

"It was an astonishing feeling to spot him released. He's similar my son," Sharabi told Fox News Digital.

Sharabi said that helium and Ohel person seen each different a fewer times arsenic escaped men and that they effort to talk each day. 

Eli Sharabi, who spent 491 days successful Hamas captivity, and whose woman and 2 daughters were killed by terrorists, speaks astatine the United Nations. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Sharabi told Fox News Digital astir his beingness aft captivity. Now a escaped antheral for astir a year, helium said helium appreciates each moment.

"First of all, I'm alive. Second, I'm free, and I've learned that state is priceless," helium said. "Every greeting I aftermath up, I accidental convey you precise overmuch for what I person and for my freedom, and I tin beryllium capable to take immoderate I bash that time and not to inquire support from anyone to devour oregon portion oregon speak," helium told Fox News Digital. "I'm blessed with my life. The representation of my wife, my daughters and my member volition beryllium with maine until my past day."

Former Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi and Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon clasp a photograph of Sharabi's household that shows his woman and daughters, each 3 of whom were murdered connected Oct. 7, 2023. (Perry Bindelglass/Israeli U.N. Mission)

Sharabi told Fox News Digital that portion successful captivity, helium promised himself that helium would determination his household to London, wherever they could unrecorded a peaceful life. He said that helium made the determination due to the fact that of the fearfulness helium saw successful his daughters' eyes connected Oct. 7.

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While his plans connected relocating to London person changed, Sharabi envisions himself surviving a quiescent beingness and focusing connected his ain healing erstwhile the assemblage of Ran Gvili, the past remaining hostage successful Gaza, is returned to Israel. However, Sharabi said that helium cannot spell backmost to Kibbutz Be'eri and that helium volition apt question a caller commencement a spot further northbound successful cardinal Israel.

"I can't spell backmost to Be'eri. It's thing I request to lick with myself and with my therapist, of course. How tin I get into my location again? For me, surviving successful Be'eri, it's not an option. In each corner, I tin spot the tragedy," Sharabi said. "I request a caller place, a caller restart for my life, truthful it cannot beryllium successful Be'eri."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Marles' bureau for comment.