BY MEMBER FOR BONNER KARA COOK
The terrorist attack at Bondi Beach has shocked and distressed Australians right across the country.
This was a devastating act of violence. It was a targeted antisemitic attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Chanukah, a time that should have been a joyous celebration of faith, light and family. Instead, it became an act of evil that has left families grieving and a community shaken.
Our thoughts are with every person affected, particularly the loved ones of those who lost their lives and those who were injured. We also pay tribute to the bravery of those who responded so quickly and selflessly, including police, paramedics and civilians who placed themselves in danger to protect others.
An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.
Moments like this test us as a nation. They ask whether we respond with fear and division, or with unity, compassion and resolve. Across Australia, leaders of community and faith groups have condemned this horrific violence and have called on all of us to stand together in solidarity at a time of trauma and grief. That call matters.
We need to be one another’s light in this difficult time.
Jewish Australians have the right to worship, study, live and work in peace and safety. They should never have to endure the loss that they have suffered. They should never live in fear because of who they are or what they believe.
That principle is not negotiable.
In the days since the attack, questions have understandably been raised about safety, protection and what governments are doing to respond. It is important to be clear and factual.
Police and authorities are investigating the attack, and that work must be allowed to continue without speculation or political point-scoring. At the same time, governments have a responsibility to act decisively to protect communities and to confront antisemitism wherever it appears.
The Federal Government has been working closely with Jewish community leaders and security agencies, and will continue to do so. Every resource required will be dedicated to ensuring Jewish Australians are safe and protected.
On Monday 15 December, the Federal Cabinet met and agreed to a number of immediate actions. This includes extending funding for the National Council for Jewish Community Security and its state-based Community Security Groups. This funding supports security coverage, capital works and safety measures for Jewish organisations across Australia.
Work is also underway with the Jewish community to support charitable efforts, including exploring tax-deductible arrangements for donations.
National Cabinet also met yesterday, bringing together leaders from across the country. First Ministers agreed that strong, decisive and focused action is needed on gun law reform as an immediate priority. This includes renegotiating the National Firearms Agreement, first established after the Port Arthur tragedy in 1996, to ensure it remains robust in today’s security environment.
Leaders agreed to strengthen gun laws nationally and have tasked Police Ministers and Attorneys-General with developing options, including accelerating the National Firearms Register, using criminal intelligence to underpin licensing decisions, limiting the number of firearms an individual can hold, restricting open-ended licences and certain firearm types, and requiring Australian citizenship as a condition of firearm ownership.
As an immediate step, the Australian Government will also begin work on tighter customs restrictions on firearms and weapons imports, including those involving 3D printing, new technologies and high-capacity equipment. First Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the Permanent National Firearms Amnesty to reduce the number of unregistered guns in the community.
These actions build on measures already taken by the Albanese Government. This includes establishing Special Operation Avalite with the Australian Federal Police to combat antisemitic acts, imposing new counter-terrorism sanctions on Terrorgram, banning the Nazi salute and hate symbols, appointing Australia’s first Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, criminalising doxxing, and strengthening hate crime data collection nationally.
There has also been significant investment in safety, education and social cohesion. This includes funding for security upgrades at schools and synagogues, support for Jewish cultural institutions, record investment in countering violent extremism, expansion of social cohesion programs in schools, and the establishment of the National Holocaust Education Centre in Canberra.
None of these actions can undo the pain of what has occurred. But they matter because they send a clear message. Antisemitism has no place in Australia. Hate has no place here. Violence and terrorism will not be tolerated.
At a time when emotions are raw and grief is deep, we must resist voices that seek to divide or to exploit tragedy for political ends. What our community needs now is empathy, clarity and unity.
Jewish Australians should know that they are not alone. We stand with them in grief, in solidarity and in a shared commitment to a country where everyone belongs, everyone is protected and everyone is free to live their faith without fear.
Together, we must stand against hatred and division, and choose light over darkness.
