Bondi hero Gefen Bitton accepts Key to City honour

In a moving presentation on Tuesday night via Zoom, Gefen Bitton – the Israeli man whose intervention during the Bondi Beach Chanukah terror attack on December 14 helped save countless lives – was presented with a Key to the City from Waverley Council by Mayor Will Nemesh.

During the terror attack, Bitton ran toward danger to assist Ahmed Al-Ahmed as he wrestled a firearm from one of the two gunmen. In the process, Bitton was shot three times, underwent multiple surgeries in Sydney, and was placed in an induced coma before continuing his treatment and recovery in Israel.

He is one of three recipients of the honour, alongside Al-Ahmed and Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff, following a unanimous council vote in January.

Joining the Zoom from Tel Aviv, Bitton spoke from the heart, saying, “It’s a huge honour for me to receive this Key to the City, and I really appreciate it. But mostly, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Jewish community in Sydney.”

He described eventually waking from his coma to learn of the outpouring of support he had received.