Grieving families who lost loved ones in the devastating Bondi Beach terrorist attack have united to issue a powerful open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, demanding he urgently establish a royal commission into the atrocity.
Mounting Pressure for a National Inquiry
The Prime Minister has so far resisted increasing calls to launch a national inquiry into the events of December 14. On that day, alleged attackers Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, claiming the lives of 15 innocent people.
Now, the loved ones of 11 of those victims have joined forces to pen a blistering letter directly to Mr Albanese. They hold his government accountable for what they describe as an escalating threat of anti-Semitism within Australia.
A Community Living in Fear
The signatories include the families of the attack's youngest and oldest victims: 10-year-old Matilda and 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman. Also signing are the relatives of heroic couple Sofia and Boris Gurman, who were killed while trying to disarm one of the alleged gunmen, alongside Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Reuven Morrison, Edith Brutman, Tibor Weitzen, Yaakov Levitan, Tania Tretiak, and Boris Tetleroyd.
The letter delivers a stark message to the nation's leader: "You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth." It continues, "We demand answers and solutions. We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how anti-Semitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to grow dangerously unchecked and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward."
The families argue that Jewish Australians now live in profound fear. "Our children feel unsafe at school and university. Our homes, workplaces, sporting fields, and public spaces no longer feel secure. It is an intolerable situation that no Australian should have to endure," the letter states.
A National Crisis Demanding a National Response
The letter frames the issue as a nationwide emergency, stating, "The rise of anti-Semitism in Australia goes far beyond one state jurisdiction. It is a national crisis that demands a powerful national response. The dangerous rise of anti-Semitism and radicalism in Australia is not going away. This threat is real and it is escalating."
Speaking to Sunrise on Monday, Sheina Gutnick, daughter of victim Reuven Morrison, explained the families' resolve. "My father was murdered, leaving behind his wife, daughter and grandchildren. Matilda was murdered. Eli Schlanger was murdered leaving behind five children, including a six week old baby," she said. "So many families ripped apart... This is something that impacts all of us here in Australia."
Ms Gutnick asserted that the attack was not an isolated incident, but the result of a climate of hatred that had been "growing and festering here in Australia for two and half years." While acknowledging a royal commission would take time, she was adamant: "As long as it takes... It's something that absolutely must be done. We need answers. We need to understand how this occurred and we need to ensure that this cannot happen again."
Despite pressure from prominent Australians and members of his own party, Mr Albanese has refused to establish a royal commission. He recently pointed out that previous governments did not call royal commissions after the Port Arthur massacre or the Lindt Cafe siege, emphasising national unity in those moments.
However, NSW Premier Chris Minns supports a federal inquiry and will establish a state-based investigation. Adding his voice to the call is former Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty, who warned that "anything less risks telling Australians that some truths are too difficult to face." He argued that deeper questions must be asked publicly of officials and their political masters to determine if failures of understanding or deliberate inaction contributed to the tragedy.
