Australia is marking a National Day of Reflection on Sunday, a week after an anti-Semitic terrorist attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead and dozens injured.
Day of reflection to honor the victims and ‘stand in solidarity with the Jewish community’
According to a statement from the office of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the day of reflection is “to honor the victims of the horrific terrorist attack on Bondi Beach and to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.”
It said, “People across the country are invited to light a candle with family, friends or loved ones as a quiet act of remembrance at 6:47pm exactly one week after the attacks.” “We are also asking Australians to observe a minute of silence at 6:47pm”
Australian flags fly at half-mast on federal buildings and state government buildings in New South Wales, where Sydney is located.
Mourners gathered at Bondi Beach and formed a peace circle, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.
Sunday is the last day of Hanukkah, with Rabbi Eli Feldman telling the ABC that Australians are welcome to celebrate the holiday with the Jewish community on Bondi Beach “to show that light will always triumph over darkness.”
What were the circumstances of the attack and who were the perpetrators?
Last Sunday, shots were fired at Bondi Beach targeting worshipers during the first day of Hanukkah.
A father and son, Sajid A. And Naveed A. is accused of carrying out the attack, with authorities believing the massacre was “inspired by the ideology of the Islamic State.” The attackers are believed to have traveled to the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, a hub of “Islamic State” operations, before the Bondi shootings in November.
Sajid A, 50, was killed in an encounter with police during the Bondi attacks. Naveed A, 24, was injured but survived and now faces 59 charges for his alleged role in the attack.
Albanese orders review of police and intelligence services
The Bondi Beach shooting was the worst terrorist attack in Australian history and the deadliest shooting since 1996.
The shootings targeting Sydney’s Jewish community have sparked accusations that the Albany government is not doing enough to tackle rising anti-Semitism.
In the wake of the attack, Albanese on Sunday ordered a review of Australia’s police and intelligence services to analyze whether they have “the right powers, structures, processes and shared arrangements to keep Australians safe”.
The Albany government is also expected to step up anti-hate speech efforts and launch a gun buyback plan after the shooting.
*Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which emphasizes the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected perpetrators or victims and obliges us to avoid revealing full names in such cases.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico