The Ben Shapiro Show — Ep. 2334

Episode Title: MASSACRE: 15 Plus Killed in Islamist Hanukkah Attack in Australia
Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the shocking mass murder at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia, where two Islamist attackers killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more. Ben Shapiro breaks down the details of the attack, the Australian response, and the broader implications for Western societies regarding rising antisemitism, ineffective gun control, and immigration policies. The episode also covers a mass shooting at Brown University, the murder of director Rob Reiner and his wife, and developments in US-Syria relations, Obamacare subsidies, tariffs, and the situation in Ukraine.

1. The Bondi Beach Hanukkah Massacre

[04:00–20:45]

Key Discussion Points

• Incident Summary: On December 14, two gunmen (a father and son, identified as radical Muslims) carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern Australian history during a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, "Hanukkah by the Sea" organized by Chabad.

  • Casualties: 15 killed (including a Holocaust survivor and the local assistant rabbi), 40+ injured, including children and two police officers.
  • Response Critique: Police were present but did not intervene for up to 20 minutes.

• Eyewitness Accounts:

  • Arson Ostrovsky: Survivor, originally from Israel, recounted chaos, bloodshed, and fear for his family, likening the scene to October 7 events in Israel.

    “I saw blood gushing in front of me. … October 7th, that's the last time I saw this. I never thought I would see this in Australia.” — Arson Ostrovsky, [06:34]

  • Schmulic Scurry: Highlighted the inaction of police during the 20-minute attack.

    “20 minutes. Was four policemen there, nobody gave fire back, nothing. Like they are froze.” — Schmulic Scurry, [10:06]

• Heroic Bystander:

  • Ahmed Al Ahmed: Muslim bystander tackled a gunman, took his weapon, but did not shoot, possibly due to strict Australian laws on self-defense.

    “We saw the action of a brave man, a brave Muslim, and I salute him for stopping one of the terrorists from killing innocent Jews.” — Benjamin Netanyahu, paraphrased by Shapiro, [12:23]

Analysis & Commentary

• Antisemitism's Rise: Noted escalating antisemitism in Australia—synagogues firebombed, hate chants ("Gas the Jews") at rallies, widespread intimidation.
  • Miranda Devine’s New York Post piece cited: “Unchecked anti-Semitism, cowardly appeasement, lax policing and foolish immigration decisions … have coalesced.”
• Immigration & Radicalization: Sharp criticisms of Australian government policies facilitating the immigration and normalization of radical elements.
  • Australia’s Muslim population increased 450% since 1991; rising antisemitic incidents tracked.
• Political & Media Response:
  • Initial statements by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized for ignoring the antisemitic and Islamist nature of the attack.

    "You notice what that doesn't say — anything about the identity of the assailants and anything about the identity of the people who were being shot." — Ben Shapiro, [19:15]

Notable Quotes

• On leadership’s response:

  “No one believes that from Anthony Albanese. … No one has made more room for antisemitism in Australia.” — Ben Shapiro, [20:58]

• Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s warning:

  “Islamist extremism isn’t merely another grievance-driven movement. It’s an existential threat to Western society and the values that sustain it.” — Read by Shapiro, [21:46]

2. US & Global Security: Brown University Shooting, US Soldiers Killed in Syria

[22:00–39:28]

Brown University Mass Shooting

[22:00–32:53]

• Incident Overview: A gunman opened fire in an academic building at Brown, killing 2, injuring 9; the motive is under investigation, but one of the professors was associated with Jewish studies.
• Eyewitness Account:

  "We heard what sounded like gunshots … then about five seconds later, we see a gunman enter the room … he just screamed something and just started shooting." — Teaching Assistant, [27:18]

• Political Debate: Gun control advocates (Sen. Chris Murphy, Sen. Raphael Warnock) call for new laws; Shapiro counters that most proposed legislation wouldn’t have prevented incidents and accuses Democrats of “mouthing platitudes.”
  • “The prescribed method of gun control would have done nothing to stop the mass shooting.” — Ben Shapiro, [29:40]

US Soldiers Killed in Syria

[32:53–39:28]

• Incident Overview: Three Americans killed in an ambush by a Syrian security officer with ISIS ties.
• US Response:

  “We mourn the loss of three great patriots in Syria … this was an ISIS attack on U.S. and Syria. … Will the U.S. retaliate against ISIS? Yeah, we will.” — President Trump, [38:26]

3. Tragic Domestic News: The Murder of Rob Reiner and Wife

[39:29–43:45]

Key Details

• Legendary director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle Singer were found murdered in their Los Angeles home. Police suspect a family member may be involved.
• Shapiro offers condolences, setting aside politics.
  • “Rob Reiner may have disagreed with conservatives on politics, but who cares? … It’s a horrifying tragedy.” — Ben Shapiro, [39:54]

4. Policy Debates: Obamacare Subsidies, Trump Tariffs, Ukraine

[43:45–58:15]

Obamacare Subsidies

[43:45–46:37]

• Debate in Congress: Republicans and Democrats negotiating an extension on Obamacare premium subsidies; Sen. Bill Cassidy advocates a compromise involving fraud reduction and health savings accounts.

  “Let’s acknowledge you’ve gotta put cash in the patient’s pocket … I think there’s a deal to be had here.” — Sen. Bill Cassidy, [43:45]

Trump Tariffs

[46:37–54:21]

• Legal Tit-for-Tat: White House expediting tariff revenue transfers to the Treasury to limit refunds in case of a Supreme Court strike-down.
• Kevin Hassett’s View:

  “The tariffs have been working and they’ve been really good for the American people. … If they were to throw the tariffs out, then they could create a really serious economic problem.” — Kevin Hassett, [48:53]

• Shapiro's Skepticism:

  “Neither the rosy view nor the catastrophic view of tariffs has actually come to pass. … You’re kind of getting a mixed bag.” — Ben Shapiro, [50:30]

• Economic Optimism:

  “I think we’re already right on the cusp of having the greatest economy the US has ever seen." — Kevin Hassett, [53:33]

Ukraine Peace Talks Pressure

[54:21–58:15]

• Pressure from the US for Ukraine to accept a peace deal with Russia is mounting; Shapiro warns against appeasing Putin and highlights lack of Russian concessions.

  “Pretending that appeasing Vladimir Putin is somehow going to amount to some sort of lasting peace ... that’s a fool’s errand.” — Ben Shapiro, [54:50]

5. Notable Quotes & Moments

On Western Governments’ Response to Antisemitic Violence

• “I have friends in Australia, some of whom are Jewish, and the amount of security required in Australia for the Jewish community is pretty astonishing.” — Ben Shapiro, [15:53]
• “A country that imports and tolerates this sort of stuff … are we supposed to be shocked when some of these people … are perfectly happy to commit acts of terrorism?” — Ben Shapiro, [15:03]

On Islamist Terrorism

• “Islamist extremism isn’t merely another grievance driven movement. It’s an existential threat to Western society and to the values that sustain it.” — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, [21:46]

6. Segment Timestamps

• [04:00] — Massacre at Hanukkah by the Sea, Bondi Beach, Australia
• [05:59] — Survivor Arson Ostrovsky recounts the attack
• [10:06] — Schmulic Scurry describes police inaction
• [12:23] — Story of heroism: Ahmed Al Ahmed
• [15:03] — Shapiro's commentary on Western complicity
• [20:09] — Prime Minister Albanese's statement
• [21:46] — Ayaan Hirsi Ali's assessment
• [27:18] — Brown University shooting eyewitness account
• [29:14] — Trump responds to Brown University tragedy
• [38:26] — US soldiers killed in Syria; Trump’s response
• [39:28] — Rob Reiner and wife murdered
• [43:45] — Cassidy on Obamacare subsidy negotiations
• [48:53] — Kevin Hassett on tariffs and economic risk
• [53:33] — Hassett’s economic "golden age" prediction
• [54:21] — Ukraine pressured in peace talks

Conclusion

In this episode, Ben Shapiro delivers an urgent, emotionally charged account of escalating antisemitic violence, with special focus on the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre. He challenges government and societal failures to curb radicalism, critiques misguided gun control debates in the wake of the Brown University shooting, and underscores dangers of weak responses to Islamist terrorism at home and abroad. The episode closes with policy deep-dives into tariffs, health care, and the high-stakes push for Ukrainian concessions to Russia.

Tone: Concise, relentless, urgent, and direct, with moments of empathy and frustration, particularly when discussing failures of leadership and the costs to Jewish communities.

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