The Australian government announced a review of its laws related to weapons possession following the terrorist attack this Sunday (14) during a Jewish festival in Sydney, considered the worst act of violence in 30 years in the country.
Two men armed with rifles, identified by authorities as a father and son, opened fire on a crowd gathered on the famous Bondi beach, one of the busiest and most touristic in the country, where a celebration for the beginning of Hanukkah was taking place. At least 15 victims were killed.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared after the anti-Semitic attack that he will not allow hatred or violence to gain ground in the country. To this end, his government promised stricter gun control laws this Monday (15).
The proposal involves the creation of a national weapons registry to establish a limit on weapons permitted for Australian citizens and a duration of these licenses. According to local authorities, one of the shooters had a firearms license for ten years and had at least six registered weapons.
The Bondi bombing was the deadliest shooting in Australia in almost three decades, since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which marked a turning point in firearms legislation.
The attack also marks the first deadly act against the Jewish community in the country, amid a rise in anti-Semitism around the world since the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023.
After World War II, Australia became one of the main destinations for Holocaust survivors, welcoming, in per capita terms, the second largest number of Jewish refugees, after the newly created State of Israel in 1948.
The location of the attack, the Bondi neighborhood, has one of the largest Jewish communities in the country — representing 0.4% of the Australian population — and a strong presence of synagogues, schools, businesses and community organizations.
On Sunday, Australian police said the shooting was a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community. The fatal victims were between 10 and 87 years old.