Australia’s prime minister vows to toughen hate speech laws over holiday attacks on Jews
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday vowed to crack down on hate speech after an attack on a Jewish holiday event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which left 15 dead.
News of the changes came during the burial of the youngest of the dead.
Yellow toy bees were on top of the coffin of 10-year-old Matilda, who was remembered as a “ray of sunshine” who loved animals and dancing.
“The tragic, cruel, and mysterious killing of young Matilda is for all of us as if our own daughter was taken from us,” said Rabbi Yehoram Ulman.
Suspected father-and-son gunmen opened fire as hundreds of people celebrated Hanukkah on Sydney’s popular Bondi beach on Sunday. The attack, which shocked the nation and led to fears of a rise in anti-Semitism, appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State, authorities said.
The line outside the hall where Matilda’s funeral was held in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, went down the street. Many mourners were unable to enter and watch the service on a screen outside the building.
“It’s like having your heart ripped out. It’s terrible. Nobody wants this,” said Jae Glover, 25.
“It’s a feeling, it could have been avoided. Antisemitism has been going on in Australia for over two years.”
Rabbi Benjamin Elton, whose Sydney synagogue is near the site of the Bondi Beach attack, says the shooting has come amid an ‘antisemitic spate’ of the past two years. He says Australian governments at all levels must stand up and protect their Jewish citizens.
The government promises action on hate speech
Criticized by many in the Jewish community for not doing enough to combat the rise of anti-Semitism since the war in Gaza began, Albanese said the government will seek to introduce legislation that makes it easier to charge people who promote hate speech and violence.
Penalties will be increased, the cancellation or refusal of visas will be made easier and a system will be established to identify organizations whose leaders speak hate speech, he said.
“Australians are shocked and angry. I’m angry. It’s clear we need to do more to fight this scourge,” Albanese told a press conference announcing the changes.
The Albanian government said it has been consistently condemning anti-Semitism for the past two years. It passed legislation criminalizing hate speech and in August expelled Iran’s ambassador after accusing Tehran of orchestrating two arson attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Nevertheless, anti-Semitic incidents have been on the rise. A 19-year-old Sydney man has been charged and will face court on Thursday after allegedly threatening a Jewish man on a flight from Bali to Sydney on Wednesday.
“Police will allege that the man made anti-Semitic threats and gestures of violence towards the alleged victim, a man who was known to be associated with the Jewish community,” Australian police said on Thursday.
Islamic State links are being investigated
Police suspect Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed, of the Bondi Beach attack. Sajid was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed Akram was charged with 59 charges on Wednesday after waking up, including murder and terrorism.
The centre-left Labor government has ruled it could hold a Royal Commission, a high-level inquiry with judicial powers, into the shooting for now.
On Wednesday, the leader of New South Wales, where the attack took place, said next week he would again call on the state parliament to pass urgent changes to gun laws.
Albanese said he was open to recalling the federal parliament, in order to implement the new laws, but he said he would first ensure that there is broad support for the proposed changes.
Police are looking into the Australian-based Islamic State group and suspected gunmen linked to gangs in the Philippines.
The National Security Council of the Philippines on Wednesday said that when Sajid Akram and his son were in the country for about a month in November, the two were not involved in military training.
Networks linked to the Islamic State are known to operate in the Philippines and have some influence in the south of the country.
“There is no active report or confirmation that the two received any form of military training while in the country and there is no evidence to support such a claim at this time,” Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement.
