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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an persistent worry about national security, and inquiries about the way such an event could occur. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven Solution

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

A System Under Strain

Yet, the terrible toll of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Forward: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will soon enact a suite of reforms to mitigate the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Arguments

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure 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 previous generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.