Lutnick also praised President Donald Trump for showing “moral clarity” in defending Israel and condemning antisemitism.
Earlier, the US president was among dozens of American political leaders who expressed their shock and sadness at the carnage in Bondi.
Lighting the National Menorah in Washington.Credit: AP
Trump said it was a terrible situation and praised the bravery of Ahmed al Ahmed, the bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the terrorists – footage of which was watched around the world.
“There’s been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives,” Trump said. “A very brave person who’s right now at the hospital, pretty seriously wounded. So, great respect to that man that did that.”
US intelligence agencies were aiding Australian authorities in the investigation. FBI director Kash Patel said he had spoken with his Australian counterpart and the bureau was providing assistance that had been requested.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended a menorah lighting ceremony in Ottawa with Rabbi Chaim Boyarsky and said Canadians stood in sorrow with Australia, while sharing a determination to never bow to terrorism and hatred.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with Rabbi Chaim Boyarsky at a menorah lighting ceremony in Ottawa.Credit: AP
In New York, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whose political opponents accused him of fanning antisemitism, made a lengthy statement noting one of the victims, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, had deep ties to the Crown Heights neighbourhood in Brooklyn.
“This attack is merely the latest, most horrifying iteration in a growing pattern of violence targeted at Jewish people across the world,” Mamdani said. “Too many no longer feel safe to be themselves, to express their faith publicly, to worship in their synagogues without armed security stationed outside. What happened at Bondi is what many Jewish people fear will happen in their communities too.”
The attack quickly became politicised in the US, too. Republican senator from Texas Ted Cruz, who has recently called out rising antisemitism on the political right (and left), said the attack was “the outrageous, but all-too-predictable result of far too many leaders around the world tolerating and even fomenting hatred of Jews, instead of countering the evil of antisemitism with moral clarity and unrelenting condemnation”.
Loading
Democratic senator John Fetterman said he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of letting antisemitism spread in Australia, resulting in Sunday’s massacre.
“It’s an absolute betrayal,” Fetterman told Fox News. “Our Western allies calling for a two-state solution when Hamas refuses to disarm and are actively trying to kill Jews – I can’t imagine why anyone would do that.”
On the Ellipse in Washington, wind reduced the temperature of minus 7 degrees to a “feels like” of minus 17, making it difficult for people to speak or linger. But mother-and-son Shoshana Cox and Yeshuah Carter said they felt it was important to attend to show they were not afraid.
“I don’t know how to think about it in political terms. I do know that the treatment of Jews speaks to the state of the world,” Cox said.
“We’re used to shootings and things happening in the US with some frequency. But this type of targeting kind of takes everyone aback.”
The Australian embassy in Washington plans to offer a condolence book for visitors to sign when it opens on Monday.
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
