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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about how such an event could occur. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Response

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and enacted a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible consequences of the incident reveals that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

The nation has grown complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly introduce a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has proposed 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 provided that the nation works together. As noted, regarding firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Frequent Arguments

We hear the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to better match the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.