Minute’s silence held in memory of Bondi Beach attack victims

Mourners in Australia observed a moment of silence on Sunday to remember the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.

The memorial is part of a national day of reflection commemorating the shooting one week after two gunmen opened fire on a celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

The 15 people killed in the attack included a 10-year-old girl, a British-born rabbi and a Holocaust survivor.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was booed as he arrived at the commemoration, an expression of anger among Australia’s Jewish community at the government after a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the past few months.

As the sun set over Sydney on Sunday night, a minute’s silence was observed at 18:47 (07:47 GMT) – exactly a week after reports of a shooting on the famous beach were first reported.

The scene of the commemoration was heavily guarded. Some cordoned off areas were guarded by armed riot squad officers with their faces covered, and a police patrol boat was visible off the coast of Bondi Beach.

For many Australians, this level of security is an unfamiliar sight.

A large crowd – many wearing Jewish skullcaps or draped in Australian flags – gathered to listen to the speeches after a moment of silence.

Bee balloons fluttered in the wind in memory of Matilda, the youngest victim of the attack, who was nicknamed “Matilda Bee”.

Later in the ceremony, the crowd sang “Waltzing Matilda,” the song from which the 10-year-old was named.

Soon after, the crowd chanted the name of another child – Chaya, a 14-year-old girl who put herself on the front lines to protect the children of strangers.

Shot in the leg, she walked on stage with a cane.

“If you are inspired by one thing, one thing in all of this, be a light in a dark place,” she said.

The event concluded with the lighting of the menorah, something that the Hanukkah crowds last week were unable to do.

But Sunday’s commemorations are not limited to Bondi Beach or New South Wales.

In a nationwide gesture of “light triumphs over darkness”, candles are filling the windowsills of countless homes across Australia.

When Albanese arrived at the ceremony, a man in the crowd shouted, “You have blood on your hands.”

The prime minister was shocked by the hostility and his wife, Judy Hayton, grabbed his arm in support.

At least one member of the crowd was restrained by police after walking toward the prime minister.

The Australian Jewish community has repeatedly said that anti-Semitic attacks in Australia have increased since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent Israeli military retaliatory war in the Gaza Strip. This attack is shocking but not unexpected.

The overwhelming view is that we could and should have done more to prevent the Sydney attacks from happening.

Albanese acknowledged the criticism, saying: “As Prime Minister of Australia, I accept my responsibility in this regard.”

More broadly, Albanes has been accused by some of siding with the Palestinians in support of Israel.

Relations between the two countries soured when he recognized a Palestinian state earlier this year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused him and other leaders of countries that recognize a Palestinian state of rewarding Hamas.

After last Sunday’s Bondi Beach attack, Netanyahu said Albanese’s government had “did nothing to stop the spread of anti-Semitism in Australia”.

In stark contrast to the Australian prime minister’s reception, New South Wales Premier Chris Mings was praised at a memorial service in Sydney as an exemplary leader, in part for his quick admission of government mistakes before the attack.

He also attended the funerals of several victims this week. Albanese was not invited to some events.

“We are deeply sorry,” Mings said at the event.

“We grieve for you and I humbly acknowledge that a government’s highest duty is to protect its citizens. And a week ago we were not doing that.”

Mings said the shooting “highlights the deep-seated anti-Semitic hatred in our communities,” adding: “This must be faced.”

NSW Jewish House of Representatives chairman David Ossip drew loud cheers when he called for a “royal commission outside of NSW to find out how this disaster happened”.

Suspected gunman Naveed Akram, 24, has been arrested Charged with 59 countsincluding 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. His father Sajid was killed in the attack.

Days after the attack, Albanese announced a series of measures to combat hate speech and incitement to violence.

Shortly before Sunday’s ceremony, he announced a review of the police and national intelligence agencies.

“The atrocities committed by ISIS last Sunday have heightened our country’s rapidly changing security environment,” Albanese said, using the acronym for the Islamic State group.

He also said he would reform gun laws and the government has launched a gun buyback program – The largest since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which killed 35 people and prompted Australia to adopt world-leading gun control measures.