Australia’s leaders agreed on Monday, December 15th, to tighten gun laws after the deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that, to date, have killed 15 people.
Authorities rightly describe the attack as antisemitic terrorism as it targeted a ‘Hanukkah on the Beach’ event—causing Australia’s most deadly mass shooting in decades.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met state and territory leaders, who agreed to review background checks, restrict gun licences for non-citizens, and limit certain weapons. Supporters say the steps will improve safety, while critics argue it is a familiar liberal response after massacres.
Armed father-and-son shooters opened fire on crowds, killing a child, a Holocaust survivor, and a rabbi, among others. Police shot the father dead at the scene, while the son was wounded, arrested, and hospitalized.
National and state leaders push for tighter firearms laws after the terror attack, although Australian gun control has been quite strict since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Others argue that the focus should now be on potential terrorists rather than lawfully held firearms.
