The Jewish community is “not alone,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday during a speech in the House of Representatives in Canberra in honor of the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack on Dec. 14.
Both houses of parliament convened ahead of schedule for a special sitting to commemorate the 15 people shot and killed by two terrorists at a celebration on the first night of Chanukah.
The father-and-son terrorists, inspired by Islamic State ideology, opened fire on a crowd gathered for a celebration of the holiday, killing and wounding dozens in a premeditated, antisemitic terrorist attack, according to Australian authorities.
On Monday, the names of the 15 slain victims were read out multiple times in the chamber by lawmakers.
“As prime minister, I give you this solemn promise on behalf of every Australian—we will not meet your suffering with silence. We will not leave you in darkness,” Albanese said, leading the motion.
“We will continue to do everything required to ensure your security, uphold your safety, and protect and honor your place here with us, as Australians,” he added.
He said that while the shooting attack was “cruel and senseless, it was not random. Jewish Australians were the target.”
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley described the massacre as a “deadly and deliberate attack on Jews on Australian soil. … For too long, many in our society, especially in positions of authority, have failed to act decisively.
“It should not have taken the murder of 15 people for us to open our eyes to the danger of antisemitism in Australia,” Ley said.
A national day of mourning will be marked on Jan. 22, the Australian government announced.
The theme of the day, chosen by the Chabad community in Bondi, is titled, “Light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance,” according to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
National institutions in Canberra and New South Wales will be illuminated as a symbol of light, the department stated, encouraging other institutions to participate as well.
A commemorative installation, “15 Pillars of Light,” will be held in Canberra and across Australia, the government added on its website, alongside instructions on how to observe the national commemoration.
On Jan. 9, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy on antisemitism said that Washington is closely watching Australia’s royal commission into the Sydney terrorist attack amid concern over Albanese’s past pro‑Palestinian activism and his government’s handling of antisemitism.
Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun told The Australian on Friday that Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio want “full transparency” from the inquiry and are monitoring how Canberra responds before drawing conclusions.
Following the shooting attack in December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that history will not forgive Western governments that show “hesitation and weakness” in the fight against the “cancer” of antisemitism.
Addressing the press at a government meeting in the southern city of Dimona, Netanyahu noted that he had warned his Australian counterpart in an official letter sent in August that his policies were “promoting and encouraging antisemitism.”
“I wrote: ‘Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorists. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets,’” Netanyahu said of the Aug. 17 missive to Canberra.
