Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Stronger Families and Stronger Communities) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the 15 innocent people who were murdered in the horrific antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi last month. No Australian should ever be made to feel unsafe for gathering peacefully, for observing a religious holiday or for simply being who they are.

I join colleagues across this chamber and Australians across the nation in standing in solidarity with our Jewish community. The attack occurred during Hanukkah, the festival of light. Hanukkah commemorates the survival of a persecuted people and the triumph of faith and religious freedom over tyranny. It reminds us that, even in the darkest times, light can endure and that identity, belief and conscience are worth defending.

It is one of the most confronting truths of our national history that the largest loss of Jewish life outside of Israel since the 7 October 2023 attacks occurred here in Australia at one of our most recognisable and beloved public spaces. Bondi Beach, known worldwide as a symbol of openness and community, became the site of the deadliest terror attack on our soil. That is a national wound. Australians have long taken pride in believing such violence does not happen here. That belief has been shattered.

We have not only lost 15 innocent lives. We have lost the measure of our sense of safety and of what we thought Australia was immune from. But, when hatred is allowed to fester unchecked for years in our schools, in our universities and in our institutions, we should not be surprised by the consequences.

Tolerance of intolerance corrodes the moral foundations of a society. When extremist ideas are excused, normalised or left unchallenged, they do not remain abstract; they metastasise into action. A nation committed to freedom must also be committed to moral clarity. That means confronting hatred early, consistently and without equivocation wherever it appears. We remember those who were taken not as statistics but as people.

We remember Edith Brutman, aged 68, a deeply respected community leader, remembered for her heart of gold and a life defined by moral courage and service.

We remember Tibor Weitzen—who died shielding his wife and close friend, Edith—a great-grandfather whose final act reflected a lifetime of devotion to family.

We remember Dan Elkayam—who was just 27 years old and building a life in Australia—as adventurous, loving and full of joy.

We remember Boris and Sofia Gurman, whose instinctive bravery in the first moments of the attack likely saved dozens of lives. Their courage delayed the gunmen and allowed others to flee. Both, tragically, were killed. Their bravery should never be forgotten.

We remember Alexander Kleytman, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who rebuilt his life in Australia only to be murdered for being Jewish decades later in a country that should have been safe.

We remember Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, a father of four and central figure in Sydney's Jewish community.

We remember Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a man devoted to faith, service and compassion who walked toward the attacker with his hands raised, pleading for the violence to stop and drawing attention away from fleeing families. He was fatally shot; his self-sacrifice saved lives.

We remember Peter Meagher, a retired police detective sergeant and much loved rugby club volunteer.

We remember Reuven Morrison, who fought back against the attackers—which allowed others to escape—and was killed while intervening.

We remember Marika Pogany, aged 82, who fled fascism and communism and devoted her life to caring for others.

We remember Adam Smyth—husband and father of four children.

We remember Matilda, just 10 years old, bright and joyful—murdered simply for who she was.

We remember Boris Tetleroyd, a husband and father and Tania Tretiak, a grandmother who made Australia her home.

Each name represents a life stolen and a wound carried by our nation.

We must also be honest about the context in which this attack occurred. Antisemitism is rising, both globally and here at home. It is increasingly driven by radical Islamist ideology that rejects pluralism, despises Western democratic values and targets Jewish people simply for existing. To deny that reality is to abandon our responsibility to protect vulnerable communities.

Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory observed that, while the attack itself was not a surprise to him, what followed matter deeply. He said that he was profoundly moved by the support of Australians from all walks of life—messages from across the country from faith leaders, community leaders and ordinary Australians. After two extraordinarily difficult years for the Jewish community that outpouring of solidarity restored hope for him in his fellow Australians.

Even in immense darkness, we saw the very best of Australia. We honour Ahmed al-Ahmed, who confronted a gunman with his bare hands, disarmed him and saved lives, sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in the process. We honour Boris and Sofia Gurman again here not only as victims but as heroes. We honour Reuven Morrison, Geffen Bitton, Tash Willemsen and Chaya Dadon, whose courage protected others. We honour the bravery of the NSW Police officers, paramedics, doctors, nurses, surf lifesavers and first responders who ran toward danger and prevented even greater loss. These were ordinary Australians who, in extraordinary moments, chose courage.

The Jewish community has given so much to this country. Many families came here as refugees seeking safety, freedom and the rule of law. We cannot allow hatred to take root here. History teaches us that what starts with the Jews never ends there. Antisemitism is a warning of deeper societal decay. If we do not act with clarity and resolve, every Australian is at risk.

Hatred has no place in Australia. Those who choose to live here accept not only the protection of our laws but the responsibility to respect and uphold the values that underpin our society. Our nation is built on tolerance, pluralism, the rule of law and the equal dignity of every person. Ideologies that reject those principles, glorify violence or seek to divide Australians along religious or ethnic lines are incompatible with our way of life. Australia must remain a country where freedom of belief is protected, where differences are resolved peacefully and where loyalty to our shared civic values is not negotiable.

In this chamber our responsibility today is to honour the dead not only with words but with resolve, by confronting antisemitism wherever it appears and defending the values of our Western democratic tradition without hesitation. May those who tragically lost their lives never be forgotten, and may they serve as a reminder to ensure that the country that they believed in and loved never sees a terrorist attack motivated by extreme Islamist ideology ever again on our soil.