Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed a multi-faith memorial in front of St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on Dec. 17, amid heavy political pressure following the Bondi Beach terror attack, which claimed 15 lives.
Albanese praised the bravery of bystanders who fought the attackers and helped disarm one of them.
“Our nation owes them and all the heroes of Bondi a profound debt of gratitude, not just for their bravery, but also for their example, for reminding us that at the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character,” he said.
“There was pure evil at Bondi last Sunday, yet even at that moment, we were given proof that evil will never overcome the courage, decency, compassion, and kindness of Australians that is central to the character of who we are.
The prime minister also stressed that the country was “stronger than the cowards who seek to divide us.”
“The spirit of the country that we have built together will always be greater than those who seek to breach it,” he said.
“We are braver than the people who try to make us afraid. We will not be divided. We will come together, as we are this evening—and we will come through this together.”
The memorial took place after the surviving alleged shooter Naveed Akram was charged with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder, for opening fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 14.
“Sunday was a dark day for our nation. Tonight, as we illuminate this cathedral, let us ensure that Australia remains a land of light, a nation blessed and enriched and strengthened and inspired by every faith,” said Albanese, as a group of New South Wales (NSW) faith leaders lit the candles on the steps of the Sydney landmark.
Prayer Is Insufficient, More Action Is Needed: Rabbi
The prime minister’s speech was followed by Rabbi Benjamin Elton, the chief minister of the Great Synagogue, who highlighted the lack of action against anti-Semitism in the country.
“Over the past two years, anti-Semitism in Australia has run riot. It has not been checked. It has not been stopped. Whatever has been done has been insufficient,” he said.
Elton also rejected the idea that a lack of gun control contributed to the attack.
“This event can’t be blamed on lack of gun control, even though it is always worth examining who can have access to firearms,” he said.
“The most difficult issue and deepest root cause is the hateful and murderous attitudes towards Jews that have in recent times come to infest our society. Tackling that is a long-term problem.”
The rabbi then called for stronger government action, saying that prayer and well wishes alone were not sufficient.
“On Sunday evening, that became an unarguable fact [that] the time for evading, of muddying the issue is over. The time for distracting, for gaslighting, for manufacturing complexity where it does not exist is over.
“We can have all the political disagreements in the world, and we should be able to express them reasonably. But hateful rhetoric has to stop, demonisation has to stop, [and] pandering to movements that want to kill every Jew everywhere has to stop.
“Prayer is insufficient, because God wants our actions and not just our prayers.”
