Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 14 December, 15 innocent people were murdered at Bondi Beach. They were mums and dads, sons and daughters, friends and neighbours, who had gathered to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, a moment of faith, family and light, and instead they were met with violence and hate. To their families and loved ones, I offer my deepest condolences. No words can ever ease your grief. No speech could undo what has been taken from you, but today this parliament and this nation stand with you in sorrow and in solidarity, united in mourning and remembrance.

What happened at Bondi was not random; it was deliberate. It was an act of pure terrorism, and it was targeted at Australia's Jewish community. We must say that clearly. We must not soften it, and we must not look away. Antisemitism is pure evil. It has no place in Australia, not in our streets, our schools, our workplaces, our places of worship or our politics. We condemn it without hesitation and without condition. The attack at Bondi has left deep scars not only on those who were injured but on everyone who witnessed the horror of that night. Men, women and children will carry that trauma for a long time, and some will carry that for the rest of their lives. They deserve our care, our support and our understanding not just in the days after this tragedy but in the months and years that follow, as healing takes time, and support must endure.

In the midst of this horror we saw extraordinary courage. We honour the police officers who ran towards danger. We honour the first responders, healthcare workers and surf lifesavers who acted with calm, skill and determination to save lives. Their actions mattered. Their professionalism mattered. Because of them, lives were saved and families were spared unbearable losses. We also honour everyday Australians who showed incredible bravery—people who stepped up and stepped in to help strangers, shield others and try to save lives at great personal risk to themselves. Some were wounded, and some were killed while protecting others. They are heroes—not because they wore a uniform but because they acted with compassion and courage when it mattered most, in moments of fear and uncertainty.

This tragedy has forced many Jewish Australians to ask a very painful question: am I safe here? Am I safe here in Australia? No Australian should ever have to ask that because of who they are, how they pray or the traditions they pass on to their children. When people feel the need to hide their faith or avoid gatherings out of fear, this is not freedom. This is not the Australia that we believe in, and this is not acceptable. Confronting antisemitism is not the job for one community alone; it is a responsibility for all of us—governments, institutions, leaders and everyday Australians. Silence allows hate to grow, and calling it out, stopping it and standing up to it are how we push back. This motion also affirms the right of every Jewish Australian to live, work, worship and learn in peace and safety, to gather without fear, to practise their faith openly and to participate fully in the Australian way of life. Jewish Australians have made a profound contribution to this country across business, medicine, science, culture, education and public life.

Australia is stronger when every community feels safe, respected and valued. This is not about politics; it is all about values. It's about the kind of country we want our children to grow up in—one where difference is respected, not feared, where disagreement never turns into dehumanisation and where violence is never excused. This moment demands unity that refuses hatred—unity that says violence will never win and unity that meets fear with courage and division with decency. Australians are at our best when we look out for one another, stand up for our neighbours and choose fairness and kindness over fear and cruelty. The answer to hatred is not more hatred. It's resolve in the face of fear. It's decency when division is easy. And it's action, not words alone. Today we remember the 15 lives stolen. We honour those who helped. We stand with those who are hurting. And we recommit ourselves to confronting hatred wherever it appears, together as Australians.

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