Australians unite to honour victims of Bondi Beach Jewish festival attack

People gathered at Sydney's Bondi Beach Sunday to commemorate the 15 victims of the mass shooting during a Jewish festival one week ago, observing a minute of silence at 6:47 pm local time (8:47 am CET), the time when the attack began.

Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese said he stood with the Jewish community. "The Australian community stands with Jewish Australians at this dark time," he in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Sunday 21 December has been made a national Day of Reflection by the federal and New South Wales state governments.

The alleged gunmen have been identified as father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram. Naveed Akram, 24, was shot by police during the attack and remains in hospital.

He has been charged with 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder. His father, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene.

Australia’s leading domestic spy agency investigated Naveed Akram in 2016 but concluded he did not pose a threat. The father was a licensed gun owner. The two were driven by the Islamic State group's ideology, police said.

'Violence has no place in our beautiful country'

Indigenous leaders held a traditional smoking ceremony Sunday morning at Bondi Pavilion, where a memorial has grown over the past week.

Rabbi Levi Wolff expected thousands to gather later Sunday to honour the victims and support the Jewish community.

“Australians appreciate that this is an attack that wasn’t just against the Jewish people — we’re an easy target — but this is an attack on the Australian values and they will come here and they will stand together with us shoulder-to-shoulder as they have over the last week to tell the people in this country that there is no tolerance for hate," Wolff said.

Violence has no place in our beautiful country,” he added.

Australian PM announces intelligence review

Prime Minister Albanese announced a review of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to assess whether they have the appropriate powers and processes to keep Australians safe, with a report due by April 2026.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Alex Ryvchin said victims’ families felt “tragically, unforgivably let down” by government failures to address rising antisemitism.

“There’s a lot of anger in the community now as well. I think we’re cycling through the various emotions, the various stages, and there’s a real feeling of having been let down and betrayed. And the community wants answers and we want change," Ryvchin added.

Police increased security around Bondi Beach on Sunday, including officers armed with rifles.

Following the attack, in which two officers were critically wounded, criticism arose that first responders last week were armed only with handguns, which lacked the range of the assailants’ weapons.

“Our priority is ensuring that everyone can come together to honor the victims and support one another without fear,” said NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon.