In the wake of the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, where at least fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham publicly asserted that former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s policies “have a lot to do with this,” linking their past decisions to the conditions that he argues allowed extremist threats to flourish.

Speaking on American television, Senator Graham faulted the Obama administration’s withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and criticised the Biden administration’s decision to re-engage the Iran nuclear agreement, contending that these foreign policy moves contributed to the rise of Islamic State-aligned extremism that he says ultimately inspired the Australian attack.

The senator urged a more aggressive posture toward extremist groups, praising former President Donald Trump’s actions against Islamic State leadership and asserting that dismantling such groups before they project violence abroad is essential.

He also took aim at Australia’s leadership, describing Western nations as “pathetically weak” in confronting extremist threats and suggesting that political decisions, including Australia’s foreign policy stances, have emboldened adversaries.

Graham rejected the idea that strict gun control can prevent Islamist-motivated violence, arguing instead that only forceful action against terror networks will deter attacks.

His comments have injected a contentious U.S. domestic political dimension into international reactions to the Bondi Beach tragedy, where both Australian authorities and global leaders have condemned the act as terror-inspired and expressed solidarity with the Jewish community affected.

Australian officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have focused on the investigation into the attackers’ motives and have rejected assertions that foreign policy positions directly caused the violence, emphasising unity and steps to enhance community safety in response to the horrific incident.