Australian October 7 survivor speaks to AIJAC and NSW SZC, criticises Australian government
Geoffrey “Danny” Majzner, an Australian oleh and October 7 survivor from Kibbutz Be’eri, recently addressed a function co-sponsored by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the State Zionist Council of NSW.
Geoffrey “Danny” Majzner with AIJAC Executive Manager Joel Burnie in Sydney
Danny’s sister Galit Carbone was the only Australian citizen murdered during the attack,
During a Q&A hosted by AIJAC Executive Manager Joel Burnie, Majzner talked about his life, from his family to the history and people of Be’eri – and their close and decades-long relationship with some Gazan friends, who he described as family – to the murder of his sister Galit, a librarian who he described as a “very quiet person” who loved her family, books and British comedies, especially Monty Python.
Majzner opened up about his own experience of October 7. Referring to his survival as “divine providence”, Majzner described hiding in his safe room in his second-floor apartment, hearing Arabic and smelling smoke, with only his phone and no water, monitoring the family Whatsapp chat and knowing what had happened after Galit’s final message.
While the IDF finally came to rescue the dazed survivors, Majzner says he does not understand what happened that day. “When I get up in the morning, I ask, ‘Where the hell was the IDF?’.”
I decided that I’m going to leave the anger, the bitterness, the hatred behind,” Majzner said, although he still grieves every day.
People [in Israel] are very disappointed with the Australian Government. Period,” he said, both in terms of its policies and statements related to Israel as well as its relationship to the Australian Jewish community and failure to crack down on domestic antisemitism.
Israelis don’t like what’s happening with the Australian Government.”
