President Donald Trump denounced the shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach as a “purely antisemitic attack” on Sunday, just hours after a Hanukkah celebration was targeted.

“As you know, there was a terrible attack, 11 dead, 29 badly wounded,” the president said at the White House. “And that was an anti-semitic attack, obviously. And I just want to a pay my respects to everybody.”

Trump’s comments, made during his opening remarks before a Christmas reception, followed the horrific attack at the beach near Sydney, where hundreds of attendees were celebrating the Jewish holiday. One suspect was killed at the scene and another was arrested. Australian authorities have released the name of one suspect, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, but have not released the other.

The president, a moment later, urged American Jews to celebrate the holiday proudly.

“We’re here to celebrate Christmas and to celebrate — and I think today we can [say] loudly — we celebrate Hanukkah, because that was such a horrible attack,” Trump said. “That was a purely anti-semitic attack.”

That comment was similar to what he told Fox News reporter Peter Doocy just before the event, saying “Celebrate proudly – be proud of who you are.”

The president also commented on two other shootings that happened this weekend — one at Brown University, where two people were killed and several others were injured on Saturday, and an attack in Syria where three Americans were killed.

Trump said he was sending his “deepest regards and respect” to the families of the two people killed at Brown, and told the nine survivors to “get well fast.”

Some are questioning if the attack at Brown was an antisemitic shooting as well. The attack happened at a review for Professor Rachel Freidberg‘s class; Freidberg is an economics professor and also a faculty associate of the university’s Judaic Studies.

Trump also said ISIS will pay for the attack in Syria, saying “a lot of damage” and “big damage” will be done in retaliation.

Watch above, via Fox News.

The post Trump Denounces ‘Purely Antisemitic Attack’ in Australia and Urges American Jews to Celebrate Hanukkah ‘Proudly’ first appeared on Mediaite.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/ZrNqJDz