'Stand with each other, all human beings'

Australia’s ‘Bondi Hero’ handed check for $1.65 million collected from fundraising

Ahmed al Ahmed, who disarmed gunman during the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack, says from hospital that he did it ‘from the heart’ because people ‘deserve to enjoy’ life

SYDNEY, Australia — A man credited with saving lives for wrestling a gun from one of the attackers during a terror attack on a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday received a check for more than $2.5 million AUD ($1.65 million USD) on Friday, after tens of thousands of people contributed to a donation website.

Ahmed al Ahmed hid behind parked cars before charging at one of the gunmen from behind, seizing his weapon and knocking him to the ground. Ahmed suffered gunshot wounds after apparently being fired on by a second perpetrator and remains in hospital after undergoing surgery.

Ahmed, a Muslim father of two, was presented with an oversized check at his St. George hospital bed by Zachery Dereniowski, a social media influencer and co-organizer of the GoFundMe page, videos posted online showed.

More than 43,000 people worldwide contributed to the fundraising, including Jewish billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who gave A$99,999 and shared the fundraiser on his X account. Australia’s prime minister and the state premier have visited Ahmed in hospital to praise his bravery.

When handed the check, Ahmed asks, “I deserve it?” to which Dereniowski says, “Every penny,” the video shows.

When asked what he would say to the people who donated, Ahmed said: “To stand with each other, all human beings. And forget everything bad … and keep going to save life.”

“When I saved the people I (did it) from the heart because it was a nice day, everyone enjoying celebrating, with their kids, woman, man, teenager all, everyone was happy and they deserve, they deserve to enjoy,” Ahmed said, raising his uninjured fist in the air.

“This country (is the) best country in the world, best country in the world, but we’re not going to stand and keep watching – enough is enough. God protect Australia. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.” The tobacco store owner did not say what he planned to do with the money.

Ahmed, 43, left his hometown in Syria’s northwest province of Idlib nearly 20 years ago to seek work in Australia.

Fifteen people were killed when father-and-son shooters Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on a beachside Hanukkah festival on Sunday evening, in a terror attack authorities have linked to “Islamic State ideology.”

Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police during the attack, but his 24-year-old son, Naveed, survived and was charged on Wednesday with 15 counts of murder, an act of terrorism, and dozens of other serious crimes.

Ahmed was not the only hero to have tried to stop the two terrorists — Russian Jewish immigrants Boris and Sofia Gurman, 69 and 61, tussled with the gunmen as they tried to thwart the attack, and Reuven Morrison threw bricks at the two before he too was shot and killed.