Questions linger about gun reform, anti-Semitism after Bondi Beach shooting

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged a reappraisal of his country’s weapon laws and added enactment for Jewish Australians, arsenic his authorities faces scrutiny pursuing a deadly shooting astatine Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

On Monday afternoon, Albanese faced reporters to reply questions astir the shooting, which took spot a time earlier, during a section Hanukkah celebration. At slightest 15 radical person died, including a 10-year-old girl, and dozens are reported injured.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Australia reels from wide shooting astatine Bondi Beach successful Sydney
• list 2 of 4Photos: Deadly wide shooting astatine Sydney’s Bondi Beach stuns Australia
• list 3 of 4‘Hero’ bystander tackles gunman astatine Australia’s deadly Bondi Beach shooting
• list 4 of 4World reacts to Jewish festival shooting onslaught astatine Sydney’s Bondi Beach

“What we saw yesterday was an enactment of axenic evil, an enactment of terror, an enactment of anti-Semitism: an onslaught connected the archetypal time of Hanukkah, targeted astatine the Jewish community,” Albanese said successful prepared remarks, aft visiting the transgression scene.

“A acheronian time successful Australia’s history, connected what should person been a time of light.”

The Australian authorities has yet to sanction the suspected attackers, identifying them lone arsenic a 50-year-old antheral and his 24-year-old son. The begetter died successful a shootout with police, portion the lad is presently being treated astatine a section hospital.

Hanukkah is sometimes called the Festival of Lights, and successful Monday’s quality conference, Albanese encouraged Australians to enactment successful a amusement of solidarity with the country’s Jewish community.

“I would impulse and articulation with others who person urged Australians crossed the state to airy a candle, enactment it successful their beforehand model contiguous astatine 6:47pm [19:47 GMT] to amusement that airy volition so decision acheronian – portion of what Hanukkah celebrates, of course,” helium said. “We are stronger than the cowards who did this.”

But portion Albanese and different officials urged calm, critics questioned whether the authorities had done capable to curtail some anti-Semitism and weapon violence.

Netanyahu spurs scrutiny

One of Albanese’s highest-profile critics successful the aftermath of the onslaught was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The right-wing Israeli person blamed Albanese’s centre-left authorities for failing to support Australia’s Jewish community. He besides linked the shooting to Australia’s caller determination to recognise Palestinian statehood.

“Your telephone for a Palestinian authorities pours substance connected the anti-Semitic fire,” Netanyahu said successful remarks directed astatine Albanese, voicing sentiments helium aboriginal repeated successful a societal media post.

“It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred present stalking your streets.”

Those remarks fuelled outrage and accusations that Netanyahu was leveraging the calamity for governmental aims.

In a station connected societal media, UN peculiar rapporteur Ben Saul besides criticised Netanyahu for linking Australia’s designation of Palestinian statehood to Sunday’s shootings.

“I americium disgusted that the Israeli PM links Australia’s principled enactment for a Palestinian State with yesterday’s violent onslaught successful Bondi,” said Saul, who besides serves arsenic an planetary instrumentality seat astatine the University of Sydney.

“Australia has taken extended measures to forestall anti-semitism,” Saul added.

When asked connected Monday greeting astir Netanyahu’s remarks, Albanese said his absorption was connected bringing radical together.

“This is simply a infinitesimal for nationalist unity,” the Australian premier curate told reporters successful Sydney. “This is simply a infinitesimal for Australians to travel together. That’s precisely what we’ll beryllium doing.”

He besides said his authorities would beef up backing and enactment to support Jewish assemblage members, including covering the costs of defender services.

“We’re extending the backing for the National Council for Jewish Community Security and its state-based assemblage information groups, to supply wide information screen to the Jewish community,” Albanese said.

“We’re besides moving with Jewish assemblage organisations to spot however we tin champion enactment foundation efforts, including done tax-deductible presumption for donations.”

Mourners stitchery by floral tributes astatine the Bondi Pavilion successful Sydney connected December 15, 2025 [Saeed Khan/AFP]

Australia’s weapon reforms nether scrutiny

Albanese besides told reporters connected Monday day that helium would beryllium convening a gathering of authorities premiers to sermon “tougher weapon laws, including limits connected the fig of guns that tin beryllium utilized oregon licensed by individuals”.

“People’s circumstances change. People tin beryllium radicalised implicit a play of time. Licences should not beryllium successful perpetuity,” said Albanese.

His remarks travel questions astir the six guns recovered from the country of the shooting and the revelation that the 24-year-old fishy had antecedently travel nether constabulary scrutiny.

Officials person repeatedly said the 50-year-old fishy had “met the eligibility criteria for a firearms licence”, and that the 24-year-old was antecedently not deemed to beryllium a threat.

Australia introduced immoderate of the world’s strictest weapon laws, including bans connected automatic and semiautomatic rifles and shotguns, aft a shooter killed 35 radical successful the Tasmanian municipality of Port Arthur successful 1996.

The 1996 reforms, introduced nether erstwhile Prime Minister John Howard, were hailed arsenic a occurrence aft Australia saw nary wide shootings hap for adjacent to 2 decades.

However, according to a caller study from the Australia Institute, the implementation of the laws has lapsed successful caller years, with much guns present successful the state than earlier 1996.

On Monday, Albanese said the reforms had “made an tremendous difference” and were a “proud moment” of bipartisan action, but that reviews were present needed to guarantee amended coordination betwixt states.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, wherever the shooting took place, besides told reporters connected Monday helium would beryllium reviewing weapon laws.

“We privation to marque definite that prospective betterment and alteration successful New South Wales has a lasting impact,” Minns said. “It’s not the past clip I’ll beryllium mentioning it, and you tin expect enactment soon.”

Sunday’s shooting astatine Bondi Beach follows respective different wide shootings successful caller years, including a 2022 onslaught successful Wieambilla, Queensland, linked to Christian fundamentalist ideology that near six radical dead.

An Australian antheral was besides liable for the onslaught successful 2019 that killed 51 radical astatine a mosque successful Christchurch, New Zealand, wherever semiautomatic weapons are inactive sold.