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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about public safety, and questions about how such an event could occur. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven Solution

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a suite of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, requiring a physical action to chamber the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles commonplace in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Preventing a future Bondi requires unity across all states. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the united front.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the terrible consequences of the attack reveals that current firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

The nation has grown complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Ahead: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a suite of measures to mitigate the public danger from firearms. The federal government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

These measures are only possible if the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Objections

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that gun laws are updated to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, 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 hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.