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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about national security, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a physical action to chamber the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already fissures in the united front.

A System Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the attack reveals that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Ahead: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple announcements regarding new gun laws. New South Wales in particular will shortly introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation works together. As stated, regarding gun control, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Countering Common Objections

There is the inevitable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Necessity and Security

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to guarantee that gun laws are modernized to accurately reflect the world 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 critical to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one friend observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.