Ellie Whiteaker (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to express my condolences; to acknowledge the lives lost and the lives forever changed after the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi on 14 December 2025; to express my sorrow at the loss of the 15 people who were murdered, whose lives were cut short in the cruellest of ways; to share in grief with their families, who now face the unimaginable task of life without their loved ones; and to wish strength and healing to the survivors who were injured or who witnessed the attack unfold and who have suffered a trauma impossible to fathom; to say thank you to the first responders and civilians who showed tremendous bravery and ran towards danger to help people when they most needed it; to say to all Jewish Australians, I am sorry for the hurt and the pain you have suffered before and since that terrible day and to say to them, you deserve to be able to live, to work and to worship in peace and in safety.

Whether you were born here, have moved here for a better life or are visiting for a short time, you deserve to feel safe here. You deserve to be safe here. Australian beaches should be safe. Hanukkah should be a celebration, an event where people can come together in public, without risk. Children should be able to visit a petting zoo without fear of being shot at. Terrorists like the two men who perpetrated this act of true evil, those who seek to destroy our social fabric, cannot succeed in breaking the Australian spirit. Those who spread hate and stoke division must not win.

In this time of absolute tragedy, at a time when we have seen the worst of humanity, we must remember we have also seen the absolute best of humanity, too. While that will never make up for the lives that were lost and the families that were shattered, it can give us some hope. Ahmed al-Ahmed, Gefen Bitton, Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff, the Bondi and Waverley lifeguards, first responders, police and ambulance workers, and so many of the Bondi community showed us true courage in the face of unimaginable circumstances. Jessica Rosen, while not knowing where her own toddler was, sheltered someone else's child from gunfire. Many of those who died did so making the ultimate sacrifice in protecting others—Boris and Sofia Gurman, and Tibor Weitzen. First responders Constable Scott Dyson and Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert were injured doing their jobs at work, protecting their community.

Following the attack, vision of floral tributes and gifts at Bondi Pavilion and in other places right across the country, including at Government House in my home state of Western Australia, showed the Australian community coming together in mourning. The Australian community have shown what we can do together in times of need, with record numbers of Australians coming forward to donate blood and to do what little they could to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.

There are so many stories of courage, of bravery and of the Australian spirit—the very best of our country. These stories also reflect the Jewish spirit—kindness, peace and courage. These actions remind us that love and light will triumph over darkness. While there's nothing we can say to ease the suffering of those impacted by this terrorist attack, I hope those affected can see that, today, across this parliament, we all acknowledge your pain, we share in your sorrow, we stand with you and we will not forget. Edith Brutman, Dan Elkayam, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Alexander Kleytman, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Tania Tretiak and little Matilda—we will not forget.