MEDIA STATEMENT
15 June 2026
Yesterday marked six months since Australia suffered the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history.
On 14 December 2025, fifteen innocent people were murdered at Bondi Beach while celebrating the Jewish festival of Chanukah. Families were shattered, lives were changed forever, and an entire nation was left grieving.
For many Australians, it still feels like yesterday.
For the families who lost loved ones, for the survivors who carry physical and emotional scars, for the first responders who ran towards danger, and for Australia’s Jewish community, the pain remains as real and as raw today as it was six months ago.
Last night’s vigil at Bondi was a powerful reminder that while six months may have passed, grief does not follow a timetable.
The courage shown by survivors, victims’ families and first responders in coming together to honour those who were taken from us was deeply moving. Their strength, resilience and unity continue to inspire Australians.
As a nation, we must never forget the fifteen innocent lives stolen that day, nor the profound impact this act of hatred has had on so many people.
The Bondi terrorist attack was not just an attack on Jewish Australians. It was an attack on Australia itself. It was an attack on our values, our freedoms and our way of life.
The Jewish community continues to live with the consequences of that day. Many still feel vulnerable. Many still feel targeted. Many still question whether enough has changed.
Those concerns cannot be dismissed simply because six months have passed.
The rise in antisemitism that preceded Bondi did not disappear after Bondi. The challenge before us remains just as serious today as it was in December last year.
That is why the work of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion remains so important.
I welcomed the release of the interim report in April, but an interim report alone is not enough. Recommendations must be implemented. Lessons must be learned. Weaknesses must be addressed. Most importantly, there must be meaningful action.
The Royal Commission must continue its work without fear or favour, and governments at every level must be prepared to act on its findings.
Jewish Australians deserve more than words. They deserve safety. They deserve confidence. They deserve to know that their government will do everything possible to ensure that nothing like Bondi ever happens again.
Six months on, we remember the victims. We stand with their families. We stand with the survivors. We stand with our first responders. And we stand with Australia’s Jewish community.
May the memories of those we lost be a blessing, and may Australia never forget.
[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
