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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about public safety, and questions about the way such an event could happen. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none approaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns can be fired quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been available.

Stopping a future Bondi demands national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

The nation has grown overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Forward: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will soon enact a suite of measures to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national 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.

These measures are only possible if the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Frequent Objections

We hear the predictable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to better match the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.