PM’s Desperate Apology to Jewish Community After Bondi Massacre Falls Flat as Fury Grows Over Handling of Terror Attack
- Albanese faces backlash for not announcing a national royal commission into the Hanukkah attack that killed 15 innocent lives
- Government’s new laws to tackle hate speech and beef up visa cancellation powers seen as inadequate by Jewish community
- Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s popularity plunges after criticising the government’s handling of the crisis
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued a heartfelt apology to the Jewish community for the devastating Bondi massacre, but his words have been met with widespread outrage and demands for a national royal commission into the terror attack.
Flanked by Attorney-General Michelle Rowland and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Albanese announced a package of new laws to combat hate speech and crack down on non-citizens who preach hate. However, the measures have been dismissed as inadequate by the Jewish community, who are still reeling from the horror of the Islamic State-inspired mass shooting.
In a desperate bid to quell the growing anger, Albanese apologised to the Jewish community, acknowledging that “emotions were raw” and that he felt the “weight of responsibility” for the atrocity. “I’m sorry for what the Jewish community, and our nation as a whole, has experienced,” he said.
But his apology was met with scepticism, with many accusing him of being too little, too late. David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, received a standing ovation when he called for a royal commission at a vigil for the victims.
The federal government’s handling of the crisis has come under intense scrutiny, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong admitting that the intelligence review launched by the government would provide assurance “faster” than a broader royal commission. However, this has been seen as a weak excuse by many, who believe that only a royal commission can provide the necessary answers and accountability.
Opposition MP Julian Leeser, the coalition’s most senior Jewish MP, delivered a scathing condemnation of Albanese, accusing him of being “always late to the party” and wanting the Jewish community to live with “half measures”. Labor backbenchers Mike Freelander and Ed Husic have also broken ranks to call for a federal royal commission.
In a move to increase pressure on the government, the opposition released its own terms of reference for a royal commission, which would deliver an interim report by June 2026. Albanese dismissed the proposal, claiming that it would delay action and result in multiple commissions running simultaneously.
As the political fallout continues, one thing is clear: the Australian public demands answers, and Albanese’s apology has done little to quell the growing fury over the government’s handling of the Bondi massacre.