Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of this condolence motion and to add my voice to the Senate's condolences to the families and loved ones of the 15 innocent people murdered at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025.

This was an atrocity, a calculated act of terrorism deliberately targeted at Australia's Jewish community as families gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah. In a country as diverse as ours, no-one should ever fear that celebrating their faith, gathering with their community or simply being visible would make them a target. That is not the Australia we accept, and it is not the Australia we will surrender to. I join every senator in this place and every Australian in condemning antisemitism unequivocally. Antisemitism is real, it is dangerous and it must be confronted wherever it appears, whether in threats, in harassments, in conspiracy theories, in vandalism or in the quieter forms of dehumanisation that allow hatred to grow.

The promise we make today that Jewish Australians have the right to live, work, worship and learn in peace and safety must sit within a bigger national promise. Every Australian of every faith, of every background, must be able to do the same. Our unity cannot be selective, our compassion cannot be conditional and our safety cannot be negotiated.

It is clear that the fabric that holds our society together today is frayed. Global uncertainty, economic instability and international conflicts have exacerbated the anxieties of the Australian people. But I have not lost faith in Australia. If anything, my faith has been strengthened. The actions of regular people on that day that are beyond words. There is a heroism in the Australian character that we should be so, so proud of. Before the attack began, Boris and Sofia Gurman confronted the terrorists and attempted to disarm them. Dash cam footage captured the husband and wife struggling with the attackers by the roadside. They both gave their lives in this noble act of resistance.

The conduct of Ahmed al-Ahmed has been lauded the world over. His brave disregard for his own life, in charging towards one of the attackers and disarming him, was inspirational in the truest sense of the word. His uncle told the ABC:

"He saw the scene before him, he saw people—human beings—lying on the ground.

"You know how Arabs, Syrians are: They carry dignity and a deep sense of honour, and they despise disgrace and betrayal."

Mr al-Ahmed survived despite receiving multiple gunshot wounds.

After Mr al-Ahmed disarmed the attacker, Reuven Morrison was captured throwing bricks to fend off one of the attackers. His bravery saw the attacker retreat to the footbridge. There are people walking around today who are alive because of that. He was another strong, brave individual soul who gave his life that day in the defence of his family and his community.

People used their own bodies to shield and protect children, children who were not even related to them. They risked their lives to protect children who were strangers to them. They comforted and reassured the children as the terror unfolded around them. And so I pay tribute to the bravery and vigour of the New South Wales police and the New South Wales health system. I sincerely thank all Australians who donated blood in the hours and days and weeks that followed.

Those stories matter because they tell us something very important about who we are as Australians and about who we can choose to be, even when the worst is at our doorstep. They remind us that the opposite of hate is not just tolerance; it's solidarity; it's ordinary people deciding, in a split second, that the life in front of them matters.

Tribute alone is not enough, and we've heard from multiple senators today that a motion of condolence must also be a moment of national resolve. So what does that resolve look like? It looks like truth-telling, naming antisemitism as evil and refusing to minimise it. It means rejecting the politics of scapegoating, which is a familiar reflex in times of fear and stress, to pit communities against one another instead of confronting the real causes of insecurity. It means refusing to paint an entire faith with the same brush because of the terrorist actions of two individuals driven by extremist ideology. It means being clear and disciplined in our language, not conflating legitimate criticism of a nation-state, including Israel, with racial or religious vilification of Jewish people. It means political leaders choosing words that heal rather than words that inflame. And it means action that is serious and sustained, stronger prevention of extremism, proper resourcing for community safety and real support for those living with trauma: the injured, the witnesses, the frontline workers and the children whose sense of safety was shattered. It also means that we do not allow this terror attack to be used as a weapon in someone else's culture war.

When violence is targeted at one community, it is a warning to all communities. If we let hatred win in one place, it does not stop there. That is why the unity we're all calling for and that this motion has called for cannot just be a slogan; it has to become a standard we live by. So to all Jewish Australians, I want to reiterate the words I shared on 14 December 2025. You are not alone. You should not have to minimise your visibility or dilute your identity or quietly adjust your life to avoid being targeted. You have the right to live proudly and safely and to participate fully in Australia's public life, just like each and every one of us. And to every Australian watching this moment, including those who have felt anxious, isolated or fearful in recent times, remember that the answer to division is not silence. The answer is a stronger, kinder Australia that refuses to be divided.

We can be a country that is both safe and free, both diverse and united and both compassionate and confident. The terrorists who committed this atrocity wanted Australians to retreat into suspicion and anger. The heroes of Bondi showed us a very different path. They showed us courage, dignity and an instinct to protect life. Let us honour the 15 lives taken by meeting hate with the best of the Australian spirit and by committing together to do the hard work to keep every community safe and our nation whole.