In a stark reminder of the strong Jewish backlash against the prime minister, Anthony Albanese was not invited to attend the Wednesday funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, among the first of the Bondi massacre victims to be farewelled.
Those present at the emotional gathering held at the Chabad of Bondi Synagogue included New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Opposition leader Sussan Ley, and Labor MP Josh Burns, who is Jewish. Albanese had said earlier he would attend any funerals he was invited to.
As both anger and action continue to mount in the massacre’s aftermath, former deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg launched a scathing attack on Albanese, while Minns announced the NSW parliament will be recalled on Monday and Tuesday to pass tougher state gun laws. Minns is also looking to restrict demonstrations while there is a terror alert.
In a passionate speech heavily targeting Albanese personally, Frydenberg said, “We, as a Jewish community, have been abandoned and left alone by our government”.
Albanese had allowed Australia to become radicalised on his watch, said Frydenberg, who was speaking at Bondi.
“It is time for him to accept personal responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people, including a 10-year-old child. It is time our prime minister accepted accountability for what has happened here. And it’s time our leaders stood up and led at last.”
“Your government has failed us. You sit in a chair. It is time you earned that title. If you don’t want to do the job, give it to somebody who will.”
Responding to Albanese’s pursuit of gun reform in the wake of the massacre, Frydenberg said, “Let me tell you, guns may have stolen the life of 15 innocent civilians, but it was radical Islamist ideology that pulled the trigger.”
“Prime minister, I am going to give you some ideas about what you need to do,” Frydenberg said. In his list, he called for a royal commission into what happened at Bondi and into the recent spike in antisemitism.
Urging a ban on hate preachers. he said, “The shooters here, who did this, were linked to a factory of hate in Bankstown. How can that factory of hate be allowed to open its doors for one day more?
The younger of the father and son gunmen, Naveed Akram, was a follower of Jihadist preacher Wissam Haddad, of the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown, known for his inflammatory antisemitic language.
Announcing a suite of new gun controls, Minns also outlined his fears about protests.
"My concern is that a mass demonstration in this combustible situation with our multicultural community could light a flame that would be impossible to extinguish.
"We’re looking at reforms whereby, when there’s a terrorism designation in the state, the police commissioner may not accept applications for protests on the grounds it will both stretch police resources and, secondly, add to community disharmony and as a result, a combustible situation in the state,” he said.
Federal cabinet’s national security committee met again on Wednesday afternoon to further consider the government’s response. Work is being done on the possible tightening of hate speech provisions, among other possible measures.
Albanese is under pressure from Jewish and other critics to implement the full report of the government’s envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal.
But many in the government believe the more radical recommendations in her report, including stripping funds from universities and cultural organisations that fall short in combating antisemitism, are impractical or undesirable or both.
Asked about his priorities in responding to the Segal report, Albanese said on Wednesday that he had spoken to her “daily”.
“We’re continuing to work through a whole range of the measures in the Segal report” he said, “This isn’t a set-and-forget report, this is something that will be an evolving position.”
“Jillian Segal is doing an extraordinary job. We’ll continue to engage with her on an ongoing basis, including any lessons that arise from this atrocity.”
Pressed to nominate any specifics, Albanese said, if necessary, the government would further strengthen hate speech provisions.
The response to the massacre has become deeply partisan. The opposition has set up a taskforce on antisemitism, extremism and counter-terrorism, led by Ley.
Ley said: “Every single day for the last two years Jewish Australians have watched the rising tide of antisemitism. And they have looked to their leaders in Canberra and they have looked to Prime Minister Albanese and he has failed them.
"We are calling for leadership. … Leadership on cracking down on hate speech. Leadership on cracking down on antisemitism.”
On Wednesday, Akram was charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder. His father was killed at the scene.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
