Bondi Beach Terrorist Incident - Condolence Motion
I add my support to this condolence motion for the 15 victims of the horrific shooting just over one week ago on Sunday 14 December at Bondi Beach—an act of antisemitic terror that has changed our world forever. My heart breaks for the victims of the heinous attack, for their loved ones and for the Jewish community here in Sydney and across New South Wales and Australia. Before that murderous Sunday, it was unthinkable that 15 innocent people would be gunned down at Bondi Beach in an act of unimaginable hatred, some whose lives were cut short simply because of who they were, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The victims ranged in age from sweet Matilda, just 10 years old, to Alexander Kleytman, aged 87, who survived the Holocaust. I send my deepest condolences to their loved ones, who are now living with an unbearable grief that no words can adequately address. Sydney's Jewish community was deliberately targeted on the first night of Hannukah—a time meant to be joyful. A festival of light, hope and resilience has instead become one of the darkest days in our nation's history. It is a stark and devastating reminder that the scourge of antisemitism and violent extremism does not exist only elsewhere or in the abstract. It is a growing global threat and, as we have seen, our peace-loving community here in Australia is not immune.
This attack is the deadliest terrorist incident and the second deadliest mass shooting in modern Australian history. It is also the worst mass killing of Jewish people outside of Israel since October 7. All Sydneysiders and all Australians are horrified it could happen here in Sydney, on our beloved Bondi Beach—a place that for all of us symbolises openness, diversity, fun, relaxation and community. I deeply thank and acknowledge the courageous first responders for their extraordinary work on the Sunday before Christmas. Many were out relaxing and were called in to confront the unimaginable. I acknowledge the contribution of my colleague Dr Amanda Cohn. She said that gunshot wounds are so foreign to our first responders and other health professionals, such as surgeons and paramedics, that some of them need to train overseas in the United States, just to get that experience. I also acknowledge surf lifesavers and ordinary Australians—the people who actively ran towards danger to save lives.
I listened to some of the contributions in the other place, and I acknowledge the new Leader of the Opposition, Kellie Sloane, and her courageous decision to go to the scene of the attack as it was all still unfolding to help and comfort people. So many bystanders were incredibly brave. The trauma of so many was clear to see this week, with so many people coming together and embracing each other in an endeavour to heal. As somebody who loves Sydney so much, it is extraordinary to see the symbolism of who we are and how we care for each other in actions such as the paddle-out and line-up of surf lifesavers and so many other extraordinary symbolic moments since this terror.
Of course, nothing will make it better, but in the past week there have been some truly extraordinary moments. Police officers did what they could and risked their lives to stop the father and son gunmen. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, just 22, and Constable Scott Dyson, aged 25, put themselves directly in harm's way to protect others and were both shot. We wish them a full recovery, but we know that poor Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert lost sight in one eye. Many victims remain in hospitals across Sydney, some in critical condition. No doubt, for many of them, their lives and the lives of their families have been changed forever. We extend condolences to the people who have been killed, but there are also those who carry terrible lifelong injuries. Many people were injured as the gunmen sprayed bullets across the park on the Sunday before last.
The horror we are grappling with cannot be separated from the long and painful history of persecution faced by Jewish people—a history marked by centuries of exclusion, violence and hatred, simply for who they are. From pogroms and expulsions, to state-sanctioned discrimination, to the Holocaust—the systematic murder of six million Jews—antisemitism has taken many forms across many eras, but its core has remained the same: the dehumanisation of Jewish people. In the years leading up to the Bondi Beach terror attack, antisemitism in Australia, including in Sydney, was not an isolated problem; it was a growing pattern of hatred and violence. I will speak more about that tomorrow when we debate the anti‑terrorism legislation. I am specifically not addressing a number of topics during this condolence motion, but I acknowledge to the Jewish community that I wish I had listened more closely over the past two years to what Jewish people were experiencing.
The shooters displayed an ISIS flag, and there is an ongoing investigation into that. Nothing has been formally released about their motive, but the ISIS flag represents an extremist ideology that thrives on dehumanising people and reducing them to symbols, enemies and targets to kill. It feeds off grievance and alienation, and it thrives on online radicalisation. Importantly, it does not represent Islam. It is rejected by Muslim communities worldwide, many of whom have been victims of ISIS violence. It is a reminder that extremist movements exploit hatred wherever they find it and that failure to confront radicalisation early, whether online or in communities, carries very real and very deadly consequences.
This terror attack on the Jewish community is so obviously an attack on all of us. It is an attack on Sydneysiders' ability to live together, regardless of our faith or background—to live freely and safety without fear. I wish to talk about one very significant moment among many. Twenty‑four hours after the terrible attack, people from all faiths—Jewish, Muslim, Christian and those of no faith—came together at the Hyde Park vigil to offer comfort, to offer prayers, to grieve and to stand in solidarity. An image was published in some media outlets of the embrace between Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins and Bilal Rauf, who is a special adviser at the Australian National Imams Council.
It was a beautiful demonstration of our ability as a nation to pull together in the darkest and most horrendous of hours and to stand up for one another when it matters most. At this time, it is so important that the antisemitic hatred of the murderous attackers is not allowed to divide us. After the events of that Sunday, it has become obvious that we have not done enough to counter hatred, racism and antisemitism before they turn to violence. Before I conclude, I acknowledge that Dr Amanda Cohn referred to the words of Rabbi Kamins, just 24 hours after the worst terrorist attack ever on Australian soil. He said:
So many in our Jewish community have received messages of love from leaders in different faith communities, from Palestinian friends and friends around this country, and in so doing, we are now learning we are all just flesh and blood, and we are also the light …
It is that light that I urge members from all sides of politics to hold onto, together with the Jewish community and all other communities who want to walk together in this terrible moment of grief. It needs to become a moment of healing that hopefully moves us towards greater togetherness, love and compassion than what we saw in that terrible moment on Sunday 14 December at 6.47 p.m.