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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. There is a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Proven Response

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and enacted a suite of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the fatalities 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 not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already fissures in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Forward: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will soon enact a suite of reforms to mitigate the public danger posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible if the nation works together. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Frequent Arguments

There is the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to better match the world we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.