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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about national security, and questions about how such an event could happen. But, as viewed of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven Solution

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a manual operation to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the horrific consequences of the attack reveals that existing firearm regulations are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Road Forward: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding new gun laws. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a package of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Addressing Common Objections

We hear the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

There are valid needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy 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 learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as previous 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 collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation experiences.