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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and questions about how such an event could happen. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Response

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Role of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, necessitating a manual operation to chamber the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the terrible consequences of the incident reveals that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

The nation has grown complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Forward: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will soon introduce a suite of measures to mitigate the public danger from firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Arguments

We hear the inevitable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.