Australia on Sunday marked one week since a deadly antisemitic attack at a Hanukkah candle-lighting event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where 15 people — most of them Jewish — were killed, with nationwide ceremonies, moments of silence and a pledge by the government to review security failures.
At 6:47 p.m. local time, the exact moment the shooting began a week earlier, Australians across the country lit candles in memory of the victims. The federal government and the state of New South Wales declared the day a national Day of Reflection, marking the country’s deadliest mass shooting since 35 people were killed in Tasmania in 1996.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Australians to dedicate a minute of reflection to the victims, saying the moment was meant to reaffirm that “hatred and violence will never define us as Australians.” Albanese and his wife attended the main memorial at Bondi Beach amid criticism from Jewish leaders and Israel that his government has not done enough to confront rising antisemitism. At a memorial event in Bondi Beach, Albanese was booed by the crowd on arrival, and later when the speaker mentioned his name during the memorial. He sat on the front row wearing a kippah, the traditional Jewish cap.
Earlier Sunday, Indigenous leaders held a traditional smoking ceremony at the Bondi Pavilion waterfront, where a spontaneous memorial of flowers, candles, handwritten messages and Israeli and Australian flags has grown steadily over the past week. Authorities said the memorial would be cleared on Monday.
Security was heavy at Bondi, with armed police and snipers deployed on nearby rooftops. Rabbi Levi Wolff said thousands attended the ceremony to honor the victims and show solidarity with the Jewish community.
“Australians understand this wasn’t just an attack on Jews — because we’re an easy target — but an attack on Australian values,” Wolff said. “They came to stand shoulder to shoulder and say there is no tolerance for hate. Violence has no place in this country.”
During the ceremony, police removed a pro-Palestinian activist who arrived wearing a keffiyeh after mourners objected to his presence. Police said the man was instructed to leave and complied.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn, representing King Charles III, joined hundreds of women and girls dressed in white in laying flowers at the memorial. She described the shooting as “unspeakably, ghastly acts of terror” and endorsed calls for millions of mitzvahs — acts of kindness — in response to the tragedy.
Health officials said 13 people wounded in the attack remained hospitalized, including Israeli citizen Geffen Biton, who was critically injured while confronting the gunmen.
Authorities said the attack was inspired by the Islamic State group. One of the attackers, Naveed Akram, 24, survived after being shot by police and 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 at the scene.
Albanese announced a comprehensive review of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to determine whether they had adequate powers, procedures and information-sharing mechanisms to prevent the attack. The inquiry will be led by a former intelligence chief and is expected to conclude by April 2026.
Australian media have reported that domestic intelligence officials questioned people connected to Naveed Akram as early as 2016 but did not assess him as a threat. Investigators are also examining possible links to extremist networks abroad, including contacts during a recent trip by the attackers to the Philippines.
As part of the broader response, the New South Wales government said it would move to ban the display of symbols and flags of terrorist organizations, including Islamic State, Hamas and Hezbollah, and outlaw slogans such as “Globalize the Intifada.” Prime Minister Albanese also condemned small anti-immigration protests held Sunday in Sydney and Melbourne, calling them attempts to sow division after a terrorist attack.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said families of the victims feel “tragically, unforgivably let down” by what they see as years of government failure to address growing antisemitism.
“They are still in shock,” Ryvchin said. “There’s anger, pain and a deep sense of betrayal. The community wants answers — and it wants change.”