By Euronews
Published on
•Updated
The man who heroically tackled and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers has been as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43 year-old fruit shop owner.
Ahmed who can be seen in a video dressed in a white tee-shirt approached one of the shooters who was holding a rifle, tackling him, and grabbing his weapon, an act that saved many more lives.
Then, with the weapon in his possession, he points it at the attacker, who retreats toward a bridge where a second active shooter was stationed. In a gesture that combined caution and courage, Ahmed rested the rifle against a tree and raised his hands, likely to signal that he was not part of the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saluted the Bondi beach hero during a governmental meeting in Dimona. “We saw an action of a brave man–turns out a Muslim brave man, and I salute him–that stopped one of these terrorists from killing innocent Jews.”
Netanyahu said he had warned Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese that the country’s policies “fuel antisemitism”.
Ahmed al Ahmed owns a fruit business in Sutherland Shire, a district south of Sydney. According to his cousin Mustafa, who spoke to Australian media outside the hospital, Ahmed has no experience handling firearms. He was simply visiting Bondi Beach when the shooting occurred and decided to act.
During the struggle, Ahmed was shot twice by the second shooter stationed on the bridge. The injuries were to his arm and hand, and he had to undergo surgery that same Sunday night. “We hope he’ll be okay,” said Mustafa. “He’s a hero, one hundred percent.”
The attack took place around 6:47 p.m. local time in Archer Park, next to Bondi Beach, during a celebration of the first day of Hanukkah attended by nearly a thousand people. New South Wales Police are investigating whether a third shooter was involved. One of the attackers was shot dead, while another remains in critical condition.
The incident has sparked a wave of reactions on social media, where thousands of users have expressed admiration for someone who, in the words of one of them, chose not to be among those who flee from danger.