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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are finally having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly 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 incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the united front.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the terrible toll of the incident reveals that existing firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Forward: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding new gun laws. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a suite of measures to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding gun control, 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 avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Arguments

There is the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence seen 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.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin 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 updated to better match the world 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 no longer as safe as it once was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.