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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an persistent worry about national security, and questions about the way such an event could happen. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Response

Health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and enacted a series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Role of Current Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the horrific toll of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in urban areas owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Forward: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a package of measures to mitigate the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Common Arguments

There is the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Need and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and make certain that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.