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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about national security, and questions about the way such an event could occur. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Response

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and enacted a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. 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. While 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 overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been available.

Preventing another Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

A System Under Strain

Yet, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Forward: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will shortly introduce a package of reforms to mitigate the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible if the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Countering Common Arguments

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true 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 transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the weapons they used.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms 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 better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.