Australia to tighten gun laws after Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre

In response to the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, Australian federal and state government leaders reached an agreement Monday to strengthen the country's already strict gun control measures. The attack resulted in at least 15 fatalities.

The leaders announced plans to renegotiate the national firearms agreement, a landmark piece of legislation established after a 1996 mass shooting in Tasmania where a lone gunman killed 35 people. That tragedy spurred the country to enact stricter gun control, including a virtual ban on rapid-fire rifles, the leaders said in a statement released after an emergency meeting.

The Bondi Beach violence occurred at the close of a summer day when thousands had gathered at the iconic location. Among them were hundreds attending "Chanukah by the Sea," a celebration marking the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival with activities like food, face painting, and a petting zoo.

Currently, 38 individuals, including two police officers, are receiving hospital treatment for injuries sustained during the beachfront attack. The deceased include a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi, and a Holocaust survivor. Official identification of the victims, who ranged in age from 10 to 87, is pending, though news outlets have begun reporting their names.

Among those killed was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and an organizer of the Hanukkah event, according to Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish movement involved in global outreach and Jewish holiday events. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of an Israeli citizen but provided no further information. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that a French citizen named Dan Elkayam was also among the victims. Larisa Kleytman informed reporters outside St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney that her husband, Alexander Kleytman, was killed. The Australian newspaper reported that both were Holocaust survivors.

According to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, police shot the two suspected shooters, a father and son. The 50-year-old father died at the scene, while his 24-year-old son is in a coma in the hospital. Police have not released their names.

Albanese confirmed that the Australian Security Intelligence Agency (ASIO), the country’s main domestic spy agency, investigated the son for six months in 2019. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that ASIO examined the son’s connections to an Islamic State group cell based in Sydney. Albanese stated that ASIO was more interested in the son's associates, but he did not describe them. "He was examined on the basis of being associated with others and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence," Albanese said.

Albanese had previously proposed new gun restrictions, such as limiting the number of guns a licensed owner can possess and periodically reviewing existing licenses. These proposals came after authorities revealed that the older suspect had a gun license for ten years and legally acquired his six guns. "The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws," Albanese stated.

Australia's existing gun laws are intended to prevent mass attacks. The Bondi Beach shooting represents the deadliest such event in almost three decades, since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The ban on rapid-fire rifles has significantly reduced fatalities in mass shootings since then.

Albanese condemned the Bondi attack as an act of antisemitic terrorism targeting the nation's core values. Government leaders have proposed restricting gun ownership to Australian citizens, a measure that would have excluded the older suspect, who arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and later became a permanent resident through marriage. His country of origin has not been confirmed by officials. The son, who does not have a gun license, is an Australian citizen by birth.

Leaders also proposed increased use of criminal intelligence in determining eligibility for gun licenses. This could potentially disqualify the father from owning a gun based on the son's suspicious associates.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, stated that the state's gun laws would be revised, though he did not provide specific details. "It means introducing a bill to Parliament to — I mean to be really blunt — make it more difficult to get these horrifying weapons that have no practical use in our community," Minns said. "If you’re not a farmer, you’re not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons that put the public in danger and make life dangerous and difficult for New South Wales Police?"

The massacre has ignited debate about whether Albanese and his government have adequately addressed rising antisemitism. Jewish leaders and survivors have voiced fear and anger, questioning why the perpetrators were not detected before the attack. Lawrence Stand, a Sydney resident who rushed to a bar mitzvah celebration in Bondi to find his 12-year-old daughter, expressed his frustration. Alex Ryvchin, spokesperson for the Australian Council of Executive Jewry, stated that the government's fundamental duty is to protect its citizens, and the attack represents an immense failure.

Following the tragedy, hundreds gathered near the site to lay floral tributes. Amidst the grief, there was also recognition for Ahmed al Ahmed, who was filmed tackling and disarming one of the gunmen before setting the weapon down. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke identified al Ahmed as the hero. The 42-year-old fruit shop owner and father of two, who migrated from Syria in 2006 and is now an Australian citizen, was shot in the shoulder by the other gunman but survived. He underwent surgery on Monday. Minns posted a photo on social media of himself at al Ahmed's hospital bedside, praising his bravery. Al Ahmed's parents, who recently moved to Australia, revealed that their son had experience in the Syrian security forces. His mother, Malakeh Hasan al Ahmed, told ABC that her son is brave and always helps people.

The massacre follows a surge in antisemitic incidents in Australia. The country, with a population of 28 million, is home to approximately 117,000 Jews. Synagogues and cars have been torched, businesses and homes vandalized, and Jews attacked in Sydney and Melbourne, where 85% of the nation’s Jewish population resides. The Australian government has implemented measures to combat rising antisemitism since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he warned Australian leaders months ago about the dangers of inaction against antisemitism. He claimed that Australia's decision to recognize a Palestinian state, like many other countries, "pours fuel on the antisemitic fire." Albanese blamed Iran for two previous attacks in August and cut diplomatic ties with Tehran. Authorities have not suggested Iranian involvement in the Bondi Beach massacre.