Bondi shooting: Albanese concedes government could have done more to tackle anti-Semitism before massacre

Anthony Albanese has admitted he could have done more to act on anti-Semitism before the Bondi Beach massacre as he finally unveiled measures to crack down on hate preachers and tackle the hatred of Jews.

“I have done my best to respond. Do I regret? Anyone in this position would regret not doing more on any inadequacies which are there. But what we need to do is to move forward,” he said on Thursday.

The Prime Minister unveiled his response to anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal’s plan four days after 15 people were shot dead and at the same time a funeral was being held for the youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda, in Sydney.

It drew a muted welcome from Jewish community leaders along with anger that he had not listened to them sooner.

Anger has built among the Jewish community since the attack on the Chanukah celebrations at Bondi over why the Government had not acted earlier on their warnings about rising anti-Semitism over the past two years.

Mr Albanese admitted multiple times on Thursday that more could have been done.

“Of course more could have always been done. Governments aren’t perfect. I’m not perfect,” he said.

“I of course, acknowledge that more could have been done, and I accept my responsibility for the part in that as Prime Minister of Australia.

“But what I also do is accept my responsibility to lead the nation and unite the nation, because what people are looking for at this time, isn’t more division. They are looking to come together.

“I’ve sat in homes in Sydney as well as having formal meetings with members of the Jewish community. They’re hurting, and I think all Australians’ hearts go out to them at this time.”

The Federal Government has accepted Ms Segal’s plan in full.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said a definitive response to the measures would have to wait until after his community was finished burying their dead and processing their pain and grief.

NSW Premier Chris Minns, Federal Cabinet minister Tanya Plibersek and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley were among mourners at Matilda’s funeral. Mr Albanese’s office did not reach out to Matilda’s family to ask if he could join, News.com.au reported.

Mr Aghion agreed with the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that more could have been done to protect Jewish Australians.

“The history of anti-Semitism is that it can only be dealt with by prompt and effective leadership, and a strong response. Until today, that is what has been lacking,” he said.

David Ossip, who leads the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said the targeting of Australian Jews through social media, hate preachers and university campuses had been “conveniently ignored” until it was too late.

“The gaslighting and dismissal must end. It shouldn’t take the mass murder of Jews to spur action to stamp out hate,” he said.

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubinstein said the key test now would be the Government’s willingness to push back on “the obsessive hatred of Israel and Zionists that emanate from progressive and Islamist spaces”.

“If the Prime Minister and the Government continue to studiously ignore this issue, it will be a clear sign he has not internalised the problem,” Mr Rubenstein said.

Ms Ley accused the Prime Minister of trotting out excuses for his failure to listen and failure to act.

“More should have been done. Two years ago, Jewish Australians told you more needed to be done, and they told you what needed to be done to curb the rising tide of anti-Semitism, which is being allowed to fester,” she said.

“How can we properly respond to them unless we are with them walking beside them and listening to them? I and my team have been with the community this week doing just that, and we will never take a backward step from protecting them. I don’t trust the Prime Minister to get this right.”

The Government is working on a package of legislation to lower the threshold to charge people with hate speech and vilification offences, particularly for preachers and leaders, stronger penalties for hate speech promoting violence, a new regime to list organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech promoting violence or racial hatred, and establishing a federal offence for serious vilification based on race or advocating racial supremacy.

Labor MPs saw the move as a big step in the right direction but expect more to come.

Mr Albanese said he was open to recalling Parliament if the complex legislation could be drafted before it was due back in February.

Ms Ley demanded the Parliament be recalled before Christmas, and unveiled her own proposals to protect Jewish Australians and disrupt extremist networks. Her plans went unchallenged at a press conference that no journalists attended.

Under the Government’s response, the Home Affairs Minister will get stronger powers to more easily cancel and reject people’s visas, while the eSafety Commissioner will work with Ms Segal to provide online safety advice to tackle anti-Semitism.

Eminent businessman David Gonski will lead a 12-month education taskforce to ensure anti-Semitism is dealt with from universities down to schools and early education, and separate work will be done to further embed education about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust in the national curriculum.

The Government will also adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism as an official definition.

Ms Segal, speaking alongside Mr Albanese, acknowledged that some work had already started since she delivered her report, but said the “more formal response has been a long time coming”.

“We stand, I think, in a very important moment, not only for our community, but for fighting anti-Semitism,” she said, adding that she “expect(s) the full cooperation of the Government”.

“We have to lay foundations for the future of the nation. And there will be ongoing work across all the sectors in the report, longer term.”