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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical conversations. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could occur. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Response

Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and enacted a series of measures to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Current Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, necessitating a manual operation to chamber the subsequent shot. Although these guns can be fired quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and less efficient than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi demands national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already fissures in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the horrific consequences of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Ahead: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding new gun laws. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The federal government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Addressing Frequent Arguments

We hear the inevitable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Need and Security

There are valid reasons for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and make certain that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.