Families of Bondi victims demand royal commission
The families of those killed and injured in the Bondi Beach mass shooting have written to the Prime Minister demanding answers.
The families of those killed and injured in the Bondi Beach mass shooting have written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urging him to establish a royal commission.
A letter signed by 17 families wants an inquiry to investigate the “law enforcement, intelligence, and policy failures that led to the Bondi Beach massacre”.
“We demand answers and solutions,” it said.
“We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward.
“Announcements made so far by the federal government in response to the Bondi massacre are not nearly enough.”
It continued: “Prime Minister, how can you not support a royal commission into the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil? Royal commissions have been established for banks and for aged care.”
Albanese has so far resisted growing pressure to establish a royal commission into the attack by father-and-son gunmen who killed 15 people.
He has appointed former ASIO chief Dennis Richardson to lead a review of intelligence and law enforcement.
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The letter states that Jewish Australians have endured more than two and a half years of relentless attacks with the rise in antisemitism.
“Our children feel unsafe at school and university. Our homes, workplaces, sporting fields, and public spaces no longer feel secure. It is an intolerable situation that no Australian should have to endure,” it said.
“You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth.”
“The dangerous rise of antisemitism and radicalism in Australia is not going away.
“We need strong action now. We need leadership now.
“You cannot bring back our loved ones. But with a well-led Commonwealth royal commission and strong action, you may be able to save many more.”
NSW Premier vows security beef-up
More than a fortnight after the attacks on unsuspecting congregants celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, NSW Premier Chris Minns has flagged major changes to the state’s security approach.
“We have to do things completely differently. The situation as it currently stands can’t continue,” he said.
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“There’s a big challenge ahead of us to rebuild Jewish life in Sydney so I’m not going to take anything off the table.”
Fifteen people were killed by two Islamic State-inspired gunmen on December 14 and many more were injured in the nation’s worst terror attack.
The state government is actively looking at using the Community Security Group (CSG), which is operated by volunteers to guard synagogues and Jewish events, for added community safety.
The organisation had been in contact with NSW Police weeks before the Bondi attack over heightened risks to Hanukkah celebrations, Minns said.
“We need to have a longer, deeper look at arming CSG,” he said on Sunday.
“That is a step that we haven’t taken in the past, but … when it comes to ensuring the Jewish community feels safe within their own community … we need to be able to show and demonstrate that there is going to be security in place to deal with the threat.
“We can’t have a situation where we build higher and higher walls and the Jewish community are stuck at home or within their synagogues.”
NSW is preparing to bring in the new year with a more visible security presence to send a message after the Bondi attack.
“We haven’t, normally, seen on the streets of Sydney long-arm firearms, but NSW Police will have them, and that will be confronting for some people,” Minns said.
He added that feedback from parents indicated they would feel safer with an increased police presence.
“That includes with the firepower that’s required to confront some evil terrorists on a bridge in Bondi if those circumstances were to repeat,” he said.
Since the terrorist shooting, the NSW government has brought in a slate of measures, including a crackdown on hate speech and tighter firearm restrictions.
A ban on certain forms of protests after declared terrorist incidents has been introduced, restricting public assemblies in parts of Sydney for 14 days.
-with AAP
