We are going to put the blog to bed now. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines from the day:
Thirteen people injured during the Bondi attacks remain in hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
A royal commission into the events surrounding the Bondi attacks will complete the “jigsaw” and give Australians the answers they are looking for in the wake of the attacks, the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, said.
Barnaby Joyce addressed a small anti-immigration rally in Sydney despite pleas from the premier for it not to go ahead.
A floral memorial left by community members to honour the memory of those killed during the Bondi attacks will be removed on Monday for historical preservation.
Crowds in white gathered despite the heat at an afternoon Bondi beachside vigil. The governor general, Sam Mostyn, said she will make it her “national project” to promote care, kindness and respect for the Jewish community and all Australians following the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
Anthony Albanese asked former Asio boss Dennis Richardson and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to lead a review into Australia’s federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. He announced the move amid growing calls for a royal commission into last week’s Bondi shootings.
Albanese was booed by some people in the crowd as he arrived for the evening vigil to mark a week since the Bondi attack, and again during official welcomes.
In his speech the president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, David Ossip, called for a royal commission into the attack.
Here’s our full report on the speeches at this evening’s commemoration.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow morning.
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And with that, the Day of Reflection service comes to an end.
Musical tribute
Menachem Feldman and Ben Goldstein are now leading the crowd in a rendition of I Am You Are We Are Australian, by The Seekers.
Everyone is up on their feet, singing and clapping along.
As they finish up, people in the crowd can be heard chanting, Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi.
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A light has been beamed into the night sky from behind the Bondi Pavilion
The attack occurred on the first night of Hanukah, and tonight’s vigil falls on the final night.
Hanukah symbolises light and hope in the face of darkness.
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The candles are being lit by several people
These include: Rabbi Mendy Litzman, who rushed in his ambulance to help, police commissioner Mal Lanyon, SES volunteer Vladimir Kotlyar, Surf Life Saving CEO – Steven Pearce, Michael, father of Matilda, and chief executive of New South Wales ambulance, Dr Dominic Morgan.
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Lighting of the menorah begins
Rabbi Mendy Ulman from Bondi is now going to lead the lighting of the menorah, along with Bondi surf life-saving club, Anthony ‘Harries’ Carol, and Australian Olympian Jessica Fox who are introducing the candle lighters.
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Ulman calls to respond to the pain with goodness. He says:
As we respond to this pain with more goodness and more light, we bring close a world without hatred, without violence, without fear, a world filled with dignity, with peace, with hope, a world of redemption.
We can’t wait any longer. May the memories of those we lost be a blessing. May be injured to be healed. May our sorrow be comforted. May all those heroes are shielded.
May God give us the strength to make goodness prevail. Light will win.
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‘Sydney can and must become a beacon of goodness’
Ulman continues:
But only if we take the feelings we have right now and turn them into action, into continuous action. What does it mean? For all humanity, that begins with the most basic foundations of civilisation.
The seven biblical laws, which mean to respect the sanctity of life, to reject violence and cruelty to all living beings, to value family, to act honestly, to protect justice, to recognise that there is one God who calls us to live with decency and responsibility and to honour him.
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Ulman:
Tonight, I ask every person here and everyone watching to take personal responsibility to continue the light of those souls brought into the world.
Let us not wait for tomorrow. Let us start today, tonight.
Darkness is not defeated by anger or force. Darkness is transformed by light, and that light begins with what each of us chooses to do next, and returning to normal is not enough.
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Ulman has named all 15 victims
With each name, he has shared a lesson that can be emulated from them.
For Matilda, he says:
Matilda. A beautiful, spirited … 10-year-old child, who brought light where she went. Let us bring a smile, a sense of pure goodness into the lives of those around us.
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Ulman says last week the community was prevented from lighting a candle
Tonight they will light all eight.
He says 20,000 people turned out for the vigil.
Bondi is with us, Sydney is with us, Australia is reverse, and the world is with us. Australia is with us.
As the previous speaker said, we are not retreating, we are not hiding, and we are not shrinking.
We are responding with more light, more love and more unity. We owe this to the 15 precious souls we lost.
He says the Torah teaches that the greatest way to honour those who are lost is to live a life inspired by the memory.
Each one of the 15 precious souls has left us with lessons we can emulate.
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Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, from Bondi, is speaking now
He says that for almost 40 years, he has led the Bondi community.
I have shared weddings and births, tears and laughter. I have watched children grow up, parents grow older. In strangers become family and the community Ferarri. Year after year, we have gathered here, to lights candles.
Last week, was meant to be a festival for Joy. A celebration of family unity, hope, instead, the darkest form of evil, violated the sacred space, but we are back. I stand here tonight, to say loud and clear - that darkness does not get the final word.
Light will win.
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Dadon was asked what her message was for Australians:
Be the light in the field of darkness. You know what? They will make us stronger. I am sure a lot of you heard this. I said this so many times, they think by doing that obviously, we are mourning, but we are getting stronger as a nation.
We are growing. Sometimes rowing hurts. We are growing. Life is going to move on and why not make a list of.
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Survivor Chaya Dadon is being interviewed now
She is alongside her parents Rabbi Menachem Dadon and Sterny Dadon
Dadon left her shelter to help save some children.
That is the thing about the Jewish people. I saw those children and they were mine. They were my kids, and I knew whatever I was going to do I was going to do it for them!
She said she did not feel scared, but just ran in help.
A lot of you guys now, a big concept of Judaism is having a purpose in having a meaning to be in this world.
And in that moment, I felt so direct, directed in the right direction. I was like, there is no going back I’m doing it and nothing was going to get in my way!
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Musical tribute to young victim
David Campbell is now going to sing Waltzing Matilda to pay tribute to Matilda, the youngest victim of the attack.
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Aghion has also called for a royal commission into the attack
Last Sunday, Jews were the target, but they were not the only victims. As we saw last Sunday, antisemitism makes us all unsafe. I find hope, and we have to find hope.
I find hope in the flowers placed outside synagogues across this country. The outpouring of messages of support, the person who simply said, “You deserve better.” We all deserve better. We deserve an Australia where we are all safe, safe to practise our faith and culture openly, safe to live.
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Aghion:
We have endured 11 firebombing attacks upon our synagogues and facilities, homes, businesses and a childcare centre within the last 18 months. And now, just a week ago, the cold-blooded murder of innocents.
Our people at Bondi were cut down for who they were, not for anything they did. We warned the government of the risk again and again, but our many warnings were not listened.
Our answer to the terrorists, to their knowing or unwitting accomplices and sympathisers, is this. We will not be silenced. We will not hide. We will not live in fear.
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The president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Daniel Aghion, is speaking now:
The Australian Jewish community has experienced two years of unrelenting vitriol and hate. Protests calling for the eradication of our right to speak in support of our freedoms and Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself from butchery.
They try and begrudge us even the right to define who we are. Proud Zionists.
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Sloane:
Tonight I’m here with you, our community, with you, steadfast, with our broader Bondi and eastern suburbs community to say that I am... I am in pieces with you, but I will be strong like you are strong, and you inspire me.
And together, together we will find the light together.
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Sloane:
So what do we do now? How do we save our community? How do we honour the lives of those 15 people who passed away? It is an impossible task.
And how do say sorry? How do we say sorry for failing our community?
How do we comprehend what has happened to our country? Tomorrow, in New South Wales parliament, I will read the names of those who lost their lives in a condolence motion in the parliament with the premier and thank you, Premier, for your compassion this week.
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Sloane says she then helped a man and his 10-year-old boy
The pair were hiding under that bridge get into our ambulance before she headed to the scene.
What I saw will haunt me for ever. But I saw police running into this scene fast and unhesitating, with guns drawn, headed into danger. Thank you to our police. And the final pop, pop, pop of gunfire.
And I tried my best to help, a surf life-saver told me “Grab bandages”. I said, “What do I do?” And he said, “Plug the holes.”
She says she sat next to people, holding their hands, putting blankets over people who we couldn’t help any more.
And I confronted – I had people fall into my arms who were grief-stricken because they felt that they hadn’t done enough, and we all felt that way.
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Sloane:
Earlier that evening I’d been celebrating the first day of Hanukah just up the road in Dover Heights and people were laughing and they were dancing. And it was such a joyous occasion.
She said right before she was about to speak, she saw people running, and she jumped into an ambulance with medic Rabbi Mitman.
I ended up bundled into Mendi’s ambulance. I don’t know that he needed an extra passenger but he was on the phone to his colleague, Yanki who had been shot and he was in a bad state.
We raced down here to Bondi arriving within minutes and we parked – we parked under that bridge while the gunmen were still on top and Mendi grabbed his kit and raced into the scene, without any thought for his own safety, making impossible choices about who to deal with first and who to treat.
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NSW opposition leader speaks
Kellie Sloane was at the beach on Sunday. She said she was not going to talk about it this evening, but Rabbi Eli Feldman encouraged her to share her story.
I’m someone who witnessed the absolute devastation first-hand last Sunday. I stand before you as someone who saw the devastation, who arrived here last week while the shots were still being fired, who witnessed the chaos and the distress and who saw the injured and who held the hands of those who needed their hands held.
Who saw the chaos and the terror but also saw the kindness and so many acts of bravery.
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Minns:
The rabbis I spoke to in the last days have been very insistent, this is the best way of healing the country. Hatred spreads through words and actions, then so does goodness.
We cannot cure hate with hate, and the lesson of Hanukah is not that there is no darkness; it is that darkness cannot extinguish the light. Be the light in the world and make the memories of those who have been lost. Be a blessing to all of us.
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NSW premier continues
Minns says the “danger we must confront is the deliberate incubation of hatred” which includes “individuals who promote violence” sometimes cloaking it in “ideology or even the perversion of religion.
He says the NSW government is launching initiative called one mitzvah for Bondi.
To those watching at home, in the Jewish tradition of mitzvah is a simple but powerful act of goodness.
Something you do to make the world more just and compassionate. More humane. The one mitzvah for Bondi campaign is inspired by the spirit of Rabbi Eli Schlanger.
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Minns:
While the attack was undoubtedly targeted at Jewish people, peaceably celebrating a religious festival, for every other Australian the shock and the pain we feel, is as if a member of our own family has been taken.
The sad truth is this crime has tragically highlighted a deep vein of antisemitic hate in our community. To excuse it as an aberration or a tragic single event is wrong. It will not do justice to the killed and wounded, and will not allow us to take steps to stop it from happening again.
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Minns says his heart is heavy for the lives that were taken, those that are injured and their families
I want to say this clearly and sincerely, we are deeply sorry. We agree with you and with humility, I acknowledge that the government’s highest duty is to protect the citizens and we did not do that one week ago.
That reality weighs on me heavily. We must accept that responsibility and use that to do everything and anything we possibly can to stop it from happening again.
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Minns:
This crime was an attempt to marginalise and scatter, to intimidate and cause fear, but you have stood up to this intimidation for thousands of years.
Tonight thanks to the Jewish community of Australia on this last night of Hanukah, you have reclaimed Bondi beach for us!
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The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, has just taken the stage at the vigil, to loud applause
People stood to clap as he started speaking.
Friends, Bondi is beautiful tonight. And not because of its beach, the sunset. It is beautiful because you and your thousands, in your defiance, with your resistance and resolve, you have returned to the sand just seven days after a shocking crime, and have said to the terrorists, we are going nowhere!
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Speeches give way to music
Rabbi Feldman from the great synagogue, joined with Ben Goldstein and the chutney band have just performed.
People were swaying and singing along in the crowd.
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Politicians in attendance at vigil
A number of high-profile current and former politicians are seated in the front row of the vigil, including former prime ministers Scott Morrison and John Howard, who we earlier mentioned was at the event. The current Coalition leader, Sussan Ley, was spotted earlier among the crowd and speaking to community members.
Anthony Albanese is seated next to his partner Jodie Haydon. Next to Haydon is Jillian Segal, the federal government’s special envoy to combat antisemitism.
The premier, Chris Minns, and NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane are also at the front. Both will speak shortly.
The member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, is also seated at the front.
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Ryvchin says Australian Jews will now live with uncertainty and fear
But I will not hide who I am, an Australian and a Jew, for that would be a price too great.
So I have chosen to return to stand again on that now-sacred ground, on the first night of Hanukah next year, together with my three daughters, and kindle the light, and praise the Almighty, proudly as an Australian and a Jew, because I know that’s exactly what my friend Eli would have wanted.
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Ryvchin:
The killers, may their names be blotted out, made their choice too.
They chose to give up their own lives and liberty just so that others would die.
They chose to destroy worlds, to leave parents without a child, wives without husbands, a community without its rabbi. Why? To what end? For what gain?
There is no why. It is of no consequence. What matters now is the choice we make.
How we choose to live. How we together replace the light and decency and love that the murdered cumulatively brought to this world.
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The co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, is now speaking:
Every year, for the past 10 years, Rabbi Eli Schlanger chose me to address the community on the first night of Hanukah here at Bondi beach.
And every year I chose to stand there with him and with my daughters, first one, then two and eventually all three, with Rabbi Eli alongside me as I spoke.
I didn’t know I was putting us all in harm’s way. I didn’t know that among us there is evil in its most pure and destructive form.
Rabbi Schlanger was one of the 15 people killed in the attack.
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Kortlarsky:
Sydney, you’re not alone. Australia, you’re not alone. The world stands with you. Millions of hearts are beating with yours.
May this light of the menorah today, on full glory, in full capacity, be the inspiration and the comfort to the broken-hearted. Strength to the wounded. Peace to a world that desperately needs it.
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Speaking about Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who lost his life in the attacks, Kortlarsky says:
I want to say clearly, and from the deepest place in my heart, this event is Eli’s dream come true.
Thousands of Jews standing together as one, thousands of non-Jews showing up standing shoulder to shoulder. Organisations … Community leaders, government officials. A community in love and support, and a community refusing to be broken.
Eli, you did this! Not just here, not just today but over the past week around the world. Because when a community stands tall, the world notices. And right now the world’s eyes are upon us over here in Bondi. The world is watching in awe.
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Kortlarsky says there are over 20,000 events being held across the world for Sydney
He says the loss to the Jewish world is immeasurable.
They came to hurt us. And yet, they realised what they were up against. Look at this response! Look at each and everyone of us who comes out and say never again and we ask ourselves this important question.
What are we willing to live for? What is something that we can dedicate our lives to? What is it that we are willing to stand up, and teach our children?
And the ways of education, training, what are our fathers and mothers teaching their next generation? And tonight, each and of you showing up will be here gives us the answer. Because the Jewish response to terror is never fear, it is never retreat, it is never silence but the response is more like, more light, more life, more goodness.
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Executive Director of Merkoz: Global Headquarters of Chabad Rabbi Kortlarsky is speaking now
I am here to bring you one simple message. We are here with you! We stand with you! We cry with you! We ache with you. And we bless you with comfort, with strength, and with faith, and with resilience.
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Mostyn has shared some words from King Charles:
My wife and I are appalled and saddened by the most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack on Jewish people attending the Hanukah celebration at Bondi beach.
Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected so dreadfully including the police officers who were injured while protecting members of their community. We commend the police, emergency services and members of the public whose heroic actions no doubt prevented even greater horror and tragedy.
And finally in times of hurt, Australians always rallied together, and unity and resolve. In the King’s words: I know the spirit of community and love that shines so brightly in Australia, and the light at the heart of the Hanukah festival will always triumph over the darkness of such evil.
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Mostyn:
We must now do what the Holocaust survivors that I have met during the year told me he must do across our country. To never forget, the horror of the Holocaust, and to understand and be educated about antisemitism.
Learning these lessons, we know we must never let this happen again. We must never let this happen again. We must commit to being a nation where every Australian has the right to belong in peace and safety.
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Governor general Sam Mostyn is speaking now
As your governor general, I join all Australians, and rejecting antisemitism. And I recommit my solidarity with Jewish Australians, in the spirit of love, belonging, gratitude and unity.
You have always been a vital part of Australia’s story of success and belonging.
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‘This has to be the moment when light starts to eclipse the darkness’
Ossip concludes his speech.
“And in that spirit, with all the pain and grief carried by those most affected, the community comes here tonight to complete what could not be completed last week. Friends, may this be the moment, may the light of the Jewish community and the light of our amazing city and country shine brighter than ever before, and may our country return to normal. Happy Hanukkah.
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Ossip thanks those who have donated blood
He also thanked people for the outpouring of support, the first responders, and everyone who has visited the vigil.
I should just say that if you have not realised it yet - the terrorist picked the wrong community to mess with because we, the Jewish people, are unbreakable. Resilience is in our veins!
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Ossip says Australian Jews have lost their feeling of safety
Whilst Jewish communities, throughout the ages, have often found themselves living in unjust environments and subject to wanton hatred and violence, the Jewish experience, up until two years ago, was that Australia was always the lucky country for Jews.
But, sadly, no more. We have lost our innocence. Last week took our innocence. And, like the grass here at Bondi was stained with blood, so, too, has our nation been stained.
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Ossip has called for a royal commission into the Bondi attack
After two years of escalating antisemitism and warnings from the Jewish community and Asio that lives were going to be lost, the terrorist attack still took place.
Whilst we are all in shock, and deeply sad, we are not surprised. We feared and suspected that this moment was coming. And whilst a catastrophe such as that which we experienced last week would be a tragedy if it was unexpected, how much more tragic is it that the loss of life occurred despite all the warning signs being there?
And on that note - it cannot be disputed that we need a royal commission.
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Ossip also thanked Ahmed Al-Ahmed
Al-Ahmed was wounded after disarming one of the alleged Bondi gunmen during Sunday’s massacre. Ossip said:
Whose unbelievable bravery saved so many lives last week. Friends, I spent time with Ahmed this morning, and his father is here with us tonight. And, friends, Ahmed has asked me to pass on the following message to us all.
“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted. Today I stand with you, my brothers and sisters. Thank you, my brothers and sisters.”
Thank you, Ahmed!
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Anthony Albanese booed at mention of his name during speech
The president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, David Ossip, has just spoken at the vigil.
He welcomed the governor general, before the PM, who was loudly booed by the crowd, and opposition leader Sussan Ley, who received a cheer.
He then welcomed Chris Minns, to loud applause:
Who has not missed a funeral, a synagogue service or an opportunity to be with the Jewish community this week.
He then welcomed the NSW leader of the opposition, Kellie Sloane, calling her “a hero”.
Kellie will tell her story a bit later, but I want everyone to know that last week, Kellie made the choice, in the midst of the attack, to go down to Bondi Beach, to go to where the incident was taking place and she provided assistance to those who were injured and gave shelter to those who needed it.
I am a personal witness to the choice she made. That is bravery! That is courage! Thank you, Kellie!
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Vigil begins with the lighting of a single candle
It was followed by a minute silence.
Only the seagulls could be heard among the thousands who stood shoulder to shoulder in quiet, solemn reflection.
A number of people seated at the front row cried. They were looking up at a screen next to the stage which showed the names of the 15 people who were killed in last Sunday’s terror attack.
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The prime minister booed on arrival at vigil
Anthony Albanese has arrived at the event, with a number of people seated at the front of the crowd booing.
Around one minute after Albanese walked in, former prime minister John Howard walked the same path to enter the event. He was met with loud cheers from the same crowd at the front.
Nathaniel Buzz, one of the people in the crowd who booed Albanese, said he had done so because he thinks Albanese “cares more about Islamophobia than antisemitism”. He also said Albanese “allowed” the weekly pro-Palestine rally to go ahead.
Police have alleged that the shooters were “inspired by Isis”.
He said he cheered on Howard because he believed he would have shown “stronger leadership”.
Albanese was joined by his deputy, Richard Marles, and home affairs minister Tony Burke.
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The vigil in Sydney has started with a minute’s silence.
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PM arrives at Bondi beach
Anthony Albanese has arrived for this national day of reflection, and the commemoration and service.
It will get under way within minutes.
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People without tickets being turned away from vigil
Members of the public who did not have tickets are being turned away from the vigil. The extra crowd is being funnelled into Archer Park.
There is a long queue to get into the event, with organisers expecting up to 15,000 people.
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‘Events like this are so important so we can heal’
Benjamin, 24, is a Bondi local and one of the thousands of people who have gathered at the beach for the vigil.
He said:
The first few days were very rough, and I think now everyone’s kind of getting their head around what actually happened. Like, this is Bondi. This is not a random location.
He said he’s been to a number of the memorials at Bondi in the after the attack. He said tonight’s vigil, which also falls on the last night of Hanukah, will be emotional for him.
This is the most internationally recognised beach in the world. And this wasn’t just an attack on Australian Jews, it’s an attack on Australia. So obviously you’ll see a lot of Jews here, but [also] a lot of non Jews.
Events like this are so important so we can heal.”
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The Bondi beach vigil will begin At 6:45 tonight
There will be prayers and speeches from politicians and community leaders.
We will be blogging through the event.
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Large police presence at Bondi event
Security at the Bondi beach vigil is tight. Earlier today the NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, sent a media release informing people of a larger police presence than usual, including some carrying rifles.
Police marksmen were stationed on the rooftop of a tall building overlooking the event.
Ahead of the vigil, during a media briefing, police sniffer dogs swept journalists’ camera equipment.
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Crowd begins to gather
Hundreds of people have started to gather at Bondi Beach for tonight’s vigil.
Near one of the entrances is a table covered in tefillin, the black leather boxes that contain verses from the Torah.
People are stopping to have the black leather strap of the tefillin wrapped around their arms.
Ravi Daniel Kaye, who is helping to carry out the practice, said:
“These are one of the 613 commandments that Jews have to do.”
“It’s important that we have come to see light over darkness.”
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Intelligence chief says he’ll cooperate with any inquiry
Asio boss Mike Burgess has offered full cooperation into the review of security agencies announced by prime minister Anthony Albanese today.
He says in a statement the review will allow Asio to clear up some false statements circulating since the Bondi attacks, and give the public confidence.
Immediately after the Bondi terrorist attack, I instigated an internal review of our decision-making processes relevant to the case and our functions under law. The review will be shared with our Minister and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, and the findings made public.
If Asio is found to have made mistakes, we will own them and we will learn from them.
As I have said many times, Asio is not all seeing and all knowing.
Tragically, in this case we did not know about the attack before it happened. That is a matter of grave regret for me and my officers. It weighs on us heavily.
But that does not necessarily mean there was an intelligence failure or that my officers made mistakes.
I welcome scrutiny and embrace accountability, but some of the recent criticisms of Asio have been unfounded.
The review provides an opportunity for us to refute claims such as we failed to pass on relevant intelligence, defunded and deprioritised counter-terrorism, and “purged” our experienced counter-terrorism officers. None of these claims are true.
Asio’s officers are highly trained, highly capable and highly motivated. I back them 100%.
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Rabbi says ‘all the faith communities are coming together’
Rabbi Eli Feldman has just been speaking on ABC. He said there has been an outpouring of support.
Feldman:
The support has been very touching and very much appreciated on the leadership level. We had leaders, political leaders and religious leaders have come over the past week to show their support and in solidarity. And you know, I was here last week with the archbishop, the Anglican archbishop, the Greek Orthodox archbishop.
I’ve got calls from Preston Mosque. I’ve got calls today from Rochedale Mosque. They’re doing special prayers in the mosque today in solidarity with the Jewish community. So all the faith communities are coming together in their support.
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Australians urged to observe minute's silence at 6.47pm
Thousands of people are expected to gather at Bondi beach this evening to mark one week since the terror attack. It is one of several vigils planned across the country this evening.
Australians are invited to observe a nationwide minute’s silence at 6.47pm.
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Coalition calls for royal commission into intelligence agencies and antisemitism in Australia
The shadow home affairs spokesperson, Jonno Duniam, has called for a royal commission into intelligence agencies.
Duniam:
We should be having a full commonwealth royal commission into every element of not only intelligence and security agencies and their roles in protecting Australia and finding ways to prevent this from happening ever again, but all elements of government decision making in all states and territories and, of course, how we can get to the bottom of the rise of antisemitism in this country …
I think it is important to have a very good hard look at intelligence and national security agencies, including the decision by the government to resource, or not resource, these agencies adequately. As we’ve already learned over the course of the last week, the AFP have made it very clear through their staff association to the government that they don’t have the resources to be able to effectively monitor people of interest and to ensure that Australians can be protected. That is alarming.
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Jewish community to hold vigil and commemoration at Bondi beach tonight
The Jewish community of NSW will hold a vigil and commemoration for victims and survivors of last week’s terror attack at Bondi beach this evening.
There will be addresses from dignitaries and religious leaders, and musical performances.
We have a picture of the poster here:
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Hello everyone, this is Cait Kelly and I will be with you through the evening.
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A few images from the rally Barnaby Joyce addressed on Sunday afternoon:
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One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce appears at anti-immigration rally
Joyce has spoken at an anti-immigration rally in central Sydney, telling people that he is “a symbol of resolve” and “a symbol to show to you that there are people in Canberra and there are people who say ‘enough, it’s enough’”.
The rally was held in response to the Bondi attack, despite police and the premier urging for it to not go ahead. Joyce, who is now a member of One Nation, said in a speech to the less than 200 attenders:
I want to recognise those of the Jewish faith and other faiths and Australians who were murdered, mass murdered, on an Australian beach on a Sunday in broad daylight, and for those who were being shot and put into hospital and pose this question, what the hell has happened to us?
The theme “resolve” came up frequently in Joyce’s speech. He told the crowd:
You can’t have moderation without resolve. You cannot say we’ll be moderate, if you don’t have the resolve to turn up, if you don’t have the resolve to say that is enough, if you don’t have the resolve to say we’re going to stop, the resolve to weed out that festering piece of rubbish that is making our nation feel like we have to have police at a demonstration like this.
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Anti-immigration rally in Sydney draws small crowd
No more than 200 people have joined an anti-immigration rally in a park in central Sydney after police and the premier, Chris Minns, urged it to not go ahead.
Barnaby Joyce, who earlier this month joined One Nation, is due to speak any moment.
In a short press conference before the rally kicked off, he was asked why he hadn’t changed plans after calls for the rally to not go ahead. He said it wasn’t a rally, but a meeting, adding: “Do you see people charging around, yelling and screaming?”
There is a large police presence at the event. A number of attenders are waving Australian flags, and wearing orange One Nation T-shirts. One person holds a sign that says “Islam is incompatible with the West”.
One speaker began the rally by addressing the crowd:
There was a lot of mainstream media coverage warning you about not coming … So the fact that you are here means that you are a small group of some of the bravest Australians in this country.
She then led a chant, saying “Export Terrorists” and “Albanese has to go”.
Minns told Nine’s Today program when asked about the rally on Sunday:
Don’t do it. Don’t go ahead with it right now – people are burying their dead.
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Key event
NSW Health update on patients in hospital
Earlier we brought you an update from health authorities on the people still being treated in hospital for injuries sustained in last Sunday’s attack.
As of 2pm today, according to NSW Health, there are still 13 patients being treated, at the Prince of Wales, St George, St Vincent’s, Royal Prince Alfred and Royal North Shore hospitals:
Four people are now in a critical but stable condition
Nine people are in a stable condiiton.
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Memorial closed
With the morning’s events concluded, authorities have closed access to the Bondi memorial site to the public.
It will reopen from 4pm for a community memorial event and at 6.47pm, a minute of silence will be held.
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Armed police presence at Bondi this evening doesn't indicate security risk: NSW police
Police – including officers holding “long-arm firearms” – will be posted to Bondi and the surrounding areas on Sunday afternoon, NSW police say.
In a statement released on Sunday afternoon, police said they wanted “to reassure the community that this does not reflect a heightened security alert.”
We know how deeply this tragedy has impacted Jewish families, friends, and the wider community who stand with them. Our priority is ensuring that everyone can come together to honour the victims and support one another without fear.
You will see more officers than usual, including some carrying long-arm firearms. While our priority is keeping the community safe, it is equally about helping people feel safe as they come together to grieve.
Tonight is about standing with the community, safeguarding the space for a respectful vigil, and ensuring everyone feels supported during this incredibly difficult time.
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Former senator defends PM from media 'pile-on'
Former leftwing Labor senator Doug Cameron has defended prime minister Anthony Albanese against what he has described as a “pile on by the RW [rightwing] media” in the after the Bondi attacks.
In a series of posts to social media, Cameron said he has “policy differences” with the prime minister but described the PM as “smart, hardworking and successful” saying the attacks on his character are unfair.
Blaming him personally for an act of terrorism is grubby, partisan, opportunist politics.
In another post regarding the calls for a royal commission into the attacks, Cameron said the key issue will be the terms of reference, asking whether it will “examine the role of religious extremism in a secular society”, the influence events in Gaza have had on domestic Australian politics and the “influence of Israel on MPs?”.
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Seaplane circles Bondi beach
As organisers continue to set up for a memorial at Bondi’s promenade later today, a seaplane is circling over the beach.
It is carrying a banner, displayed to the hundreds of people packed on the sand, which reads:
Love from Aus[tralia] to our Jewish community.
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Anti-immigration rallies have ‘no place in Australia’, Albanese says
Anthony Albanese has called on demonstrators planning to rally in Sydney and Melbourne today to cancel their activities.
Anti-immigration rallies have been planned for the country’s two largest cities, in defiance of the NSW government’s warnings that gatherings on Sunday would be unhelpful so soon after the Bondi terror attacks.
Nationals defector and One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce is headlined to speak at an anti-immigration event in Sydney.
The prime minister said Sunday should be about remembering the victims of the Bondi shooting.
Terrorists have sought to divide this country but this is a time to stand united – particularly on this national day of reflection.
There are organised rallies seeking to sow division in the aftermath of last Sunday’s antisemitic terrorist attack, and they have no place in Australia.
They should not go ahead and people should not attend them.
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Littleproud says PM avoiding royal commission into Bondi attack
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, says Anthony Albanese hasn’t yet called a royal commission into the Bondi attacks because he’s afraid of political embarrassment.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday morning, Littleproud said an independent inquiry should be held.
And there has been a litany of failures here for two and a half years.
The warning signs were there … but we should look ourselves in the eye.
We should look at the failings of decisions made at a political level, at intelligence levels. And many of these agencies are at a federal level.
The Nationals leader acknowledged that any inquiry may identify failures made by former Coalition governments, saying he would welcome the scrutiny.
– with AAP
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The number of flowers left at a memorial to those killed and injured during the Bondi attack have grown in an outpouring of grief and support on Sunday.
Here are some images of the scene:
Bondi reopens but remains a site of mourning
There is a strange duality at Bondi a week after the terror event. The life-savers have returned to the beach and the police scene has been lifted, but Bondi’s promenade is still filled with bouquets and tributes to the 15 victims.
Signs with QR codes to donation links hang from telephone poles and fencing. At the footbridge where one of the alleged shooters stood, firing on the Hanukah event, crowds of people continue to stand and mourn.
A sign has been hung there by Waverley council which reads:
This is the site of a terrible tragedy for the local community. Please be respectful and consider others when moving through.
Chalk has been provided at the bottom of the footbridge and people have written tributes and drawn pictures on the cement. “To Matilda bee,” one reads. “Love peace,” says another.
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Police warn of 'significant' response to unauthorised Sydney anti-immigration rally
New South Wales police are urging members of the public not to attend an unauthorised anti-immigration rally planned for Sunday afternoon.
In a statement, police said a Form 1 was submitted by the protest organiser on Wednesday but it was not supported by police and “subsequent negotiations were unsuccessful”.
As a result, the organiser has not obtained authorisation for the assembly under Part 4 of the Summary Offences Act 1988.
Without this authorisation, the event is not legally protected as an authorised assembly and individuals who choose to attend may be liable for obstruction and unlawful assembly offences.
The statement added that “this is not a time for public gatherings that may heighten tension or create additional risks to community safety” and that participants in Sunday’s protests can expect “significant policing response to any large-scale public gatherings at time this”.
Former Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who quit to join One Nation, has been advertised as a speaker at the gathering.
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Albanese orders review into AFP and Asio after Bondi attack
Anthony Albanese says he has asked former Asio boss Dennis Richardson and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to lead a review into Australia’s federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
He announced the move amid growing calls for a royal commission into last week’s Bondi shootings.
In a statement, Albanese said:
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will examine whether federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe in the wake of the horrific antisemitic Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation. Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.
The review will be led by Dennis Richardson – a former Secretary of the Department of Defence, former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and former Intelligence Chief.
The review will build on the work of the Independent Intelligence Review, conducted by Richard Maude and Heather Smith.
The review will be provided to the government by the end of April 2026 and will be made publicly available.
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The National Council for Jewish Women Australia vigil at Bondi Pavilion has concluded with a rendition of the national anthem.
As music played, attenders with flowers were asked to add them to an ever-growing pile of bouquets at the foot of the pavilion, which have started to yellow and wilt with age. Many laid them down with tears, hugging their friends and family members.
The crowd have started to disperse, but some mourners continue to stand in reflection. Balloons in the shape of a bee, hung up to pay tribute to 10-year-old Matilda, whose middle name was Bee, are flying at the memorial’s gates.
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Mostyn said she attended the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park on Saturday to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the withdrawal of soldiers from Anzac Cove.
They had done their work in Gallipoli in order to provide peace for the world. They were led by a masterful general, John Monash, another Jewish man who led our country with military distinction.
When we think about the unspeakable, ghastly acts of terror perpetrated here, I think what it was like to stand in the shores on Anzac Day, and how unspeakable it would’ve been to consider at the shores of Bondi Beach, we would have 1000 surf Life Savers [on Saturday] in an act of commemoration.”
Mostyn said Australia had powerfully remembered the Anzac story but “we have to learn other history”, including those of Australia’s Holocaust survivors.
Yesterday I was shocked to learn a 94-year-old Jewish woman who’s been coming to the Anzac commemoration every year rang the organisers to know whether she would still be welcome as a Jewish woman ... Of course she was welcome, every Jew in this country ... you are part of the belonging story and the success of this country ... This is now a national project. Mitzvahs, good deeds, care, kindness to each other.
Governor general addresses Bondi vigil, calls for ‘care, kindness and respect’
The governor general, Sam Mostyn, says she will make it her “national project” to promote care, kindness and respect for the Jewish community and all Australians following the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
Addressing the National Council for Jewish Women Australia vigil in front of the Bondi Pavilion, Mostyn said she heard about the event on the radio and felt compelled to attend. She was wearing white, as is most of the crowd, as requested by the organisers to spread light.
We must take that forward … When I took on this role 16 months ago, I said what should be at the heart of my office – which is beyond politics, beyond policy – would be care, kindness and respect … I was calling on the words of a former governor general, a Jewish governor general, Sir Zelman Cowen, who was needed at a different time for Australia and needed to be a peacemaker.
Mostyn said the office she represented “must be the one that reflects the light and shade of the country back to the country”.
To interpret the mood of the nation in these moments, and then to act with all of you in those moments of healing and unity, for us not to be divided, but to come together … to show that we understand what that means for us as a nation. Care, kindness, respect, compassion, everyone belonging in this nation.
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Charities and non-profits sign letter of support for Jewish community and rejecting ‘fear, polarisation, and disinformation’
Dozens of civil society groups around the country have signed an open letter of support to Australia’s Jewish community in the wake of the Bondi attacks, offering sympathy and love to bereaved families and victims, as well as Jews around the country.
The full letter is below. It is signed by groups including the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Amnesty, Oxfam, Climate 200, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and many others.
It reads:
Antisemitism (anti-Jewish racism) should have no place in Australia. We should all feel and be safe in our identities – free to practice our faiths, live our cultures, celebrate with family, and be in community with one another. Everyone has a right to live in peace and safety, no matter their belief or background.
In the aftermath of this shocking violence, we remember our shared humanity. We honour the memories of those killed. We celebrate the unity, courage, and care being shown by millions of people across Australia as we mourn together.
We have seen what happens when a community is singled out and scapegoated based on their identity, ethnicity, race or religion; and we reject efforts to create further division through fear, polarisation, and disinformation.
We come together and echo the words of the NSW Faith Affairs Council that “We will not let hatred and violence divide us. Across all our cultures and faiths, we will stand united in sympathy, compassion and solidarity.”
We are resolute in our collective commitment to defend everyone’s rights to safety, culture and faith, and to build a peaceful society.We commit to deepening our understanding of how anti-Jewish racism arises, in order to better identify and prevent it from being committed against the Australian Jewish community ever again.
We stand with the Australian Jewish community, in love and solidarity.
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Sussan Ley visits Ahmed al-Ahmed in hospital
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and Coalition frontbencher Julian Leeser have met with Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed in hospital this morning.
He was shot after disarming one of the gunmen at Bondi last week and has had a long line of official visitors, including the NSW premier, Chris Minns, and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.
Ley will join commemorations at Bondi tonight.
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‘It is hard to imagine a stronger community’, Russian Jewish community leader tells vigil
Next to speak is Anna Maylis, the Zionist Federation of Australia’s Kangarusski community coordinator.
She says 10-year-old Matilda, who was killed a week ago in the shooting, was a student of hers and came to all of her events for the Russian Jewish community since she was three years old.
Maylis attended an event with Matilda and her family earlier that day, before they headed to the Hanukah event at Bondi beach, as did many of the victims.
She says in Bondi, her Russian accent is “very normal”, but the Jewish Russians are a small community, and all very close. They usually come together at Sydney’s only Russian restaurant, or at Bondi, but now they “meet at funerals every day”.
There is not a family in our community that is not personally connected to the victims, many of us were here …
Most of us have experienced antisemitism in its ugliest form … we lived through it. But what did this do to us? It made us strong. It is hard to imagine a stronger community … The whole of Australia is mourning. Thank you Australia, we need you.
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Crowds in white gather despite the heat at Bondi beachside vigil
Lynda Ben-Menashe, president of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia, is the first to speak at the vigil at Bondi Pavilion.
The site is packed despite the heat. Ben-Menashe says like many of the victims from the shooting, her family was born in Odesa and fled to Australia to escape persecution.
I have been a proud Australian citizen all my life … I have been inundated with messages of condolence and support … an outpouring of love from allies, friends and also strangers. Today is a testament to the decency of Australian people. This circle of love and support is the circle we must enlarge.
She particularly recalls a message she received from a woman in Israel whose kibbutz was invaded on 7 October 2023. She says 62 of the woman’s friends, family and neighbours were killed.
She understands the danger we are facing in this country, wraps her arms around us, and tells us to rebuild.
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Bondi Pavilion floral tributes to be removed on Monday
A floral memorial left by community members to honour the memory of those killed during the Bondi attacks will be removed on Monday for historical preservation.
Notices announcing the decision were posted to lamp-posts around the Bondi Pavilion on Sunday.
The Sydney Jewish Museum and the Australian Jewish Historical Society will collect the materials to preserve them.
In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and Griefline on 1300 845 745. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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Crowds gather at Bondi Pavilion to mark one week since shooting
A crowd of hundreds have gathered at Bondi Pavilion in white to mark a week since the terror attack took the lives of 15 people.
Formal proceedings have started with a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a song that was composed by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, who were Jewish, followed by a minute of silence.
It is a sweltering day in Sydney, and days out from Christmas there would usually be a festive mood in the air. Instead, screens are being set up on the promenade for a memorial this evening, and police helicopters circle overhead.
Among those to have gathered at Bondi Pavilion is the minister for social services, Tanya Plibersek, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, and independent member for Kooyong, Monique Ryan. Warringah MP Zali Stegall and former Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel are also in attendance.
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Support shown to Jewish community has been ‘touching’, rabbi says
Efforts to show solidarity with the Jewish community have been welcomed even as people work through their grief, community leaders say.
Rabbi Eli Feldman, leader of the Newtown synagogue, said the community was still “in shock” and “devastated” a week on from the Bondi attack.
You know, it’s not just numbers, it’s people. People have died. People are suffering. People are in hospital. A good friend of mine is in hospital. Had a surgery yesterday. His father was executed – he couldn’t even go to the funeral.
Feldman said the support has been shown to date has been “touching” with political leaders and, leaders from other faiths contacting him in solidarity with the Jewish community, and flowers being left outside the rabbi’s synagogue in Newtown.
It’s so touching and we appreciate it so much. And I think that practically, what every Australian can do, in addition to showing their support, is also to help those widows and orphans and help those families.
On efforts to address antisemitism and anti-Jewish hatred in the community, Feldman said “nothing happens in a vacuum and nothing happens by itself” and that “we have to look at – where is the ideology coming from? How is being inculcated within young people in our country?”
Ultimately, we’re all created in the image of God and that’s what every single human being is. And I think that if people are educated in the positive side, they’ll be less susceptible for the wicked ideologies.
Here is more on how you can help at this time:
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The families of those killed and injured during the Bondi attack a week ago are still grappling with the enormity of what has taken place, community leaders say.
Speaking to ABC News this morning, Alyx Ryvchin from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry said he had been spending time with the families.
They’re in a bewildered state, they’re still in shock, they don’t know what to do with themselves.
He said there was “a lot of anger” in the community at present.
We’re cycling through the various emotions, the various stages, and there’s a real feeling of having been let down and betrayed; the community wants answers and we want change.
A key piece of Port Arthur-era gun reform remains unfinished. Could it have helped prevent the Bondi attack?
A national firearms register, which would track weapons across the country in real time, was a priority for law enforcement and gun control advocates after the 1996 Port Athur massacre.
But almost 30 years later, it remains unfinished.
The Australian Federal Police Association president, Alex Caruana, told Guardian Australia this week that a robust national firearms database would have allowed New South Wales police to better assess the risk posed by the Bondi gunmen ahead of Sunday’s terror attack.
Sajid Akram, who was shot dead by police, held a firearm licence and owned six guns, which he and his son Naveed allegedly used to open fire on Jewish families celebrating Hanukah at Bondi beach.
It was disclosed on Monday that Naveed, who has now been charged with 59 offences including 15 counts of murder, came to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) in October 2019 “on the basis of being associated with others”.
For more, read Ariel Bogle’s full report here:
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Australian football star pays tribute to Bondi victims in Scottish league game
A rising Australian player in Scotland has paid tribute to victims of the Bondi tragedy on an afternoon when Socceroo Martin Boyle shone again.
Sydney football export Zac Sapsford, who is Jewish, has paid tribute to victims of the Bondi shooting at a Scottish Premiership match, with his manager at Dundee United explaining the young striker knew people involved in the tragedy.
At the end of a week when the 23-year-old former Western Sydney Wanderers prospect made a name for himself in Scotland by scoring a spectacular winner in United’s rare victory over champions Celtic, Sapsford wore a black armband in their 1-1 home draw with Hibernian on Saturday.
The United boss, Jim Goodwin, was left to explain afterwards:
Unfortunately, Zac knew a number of people involved in the tragedy in Bondi Beach. His family stay quite close to there.
– AAP
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Australians asked to hold minute’s silence tonight at 6.47pm
Australians are being invited to light a candle at 6.47pm this evening and hold a minute’s silence to mark the moment when the gunman in the Bondi attack opened fire.
In a post to social media, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the opportunity marked a “moment for Australians to stand with our Jewish community”.
At 6:47pm, you can light a candle in your window to remember the victims of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi and support those who are grieving.
Standing together to show that hatred and violence will never define who we are.
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Albanese convening national security committee for eighth time since attack
Anthony Albanese is convening the national security committee of cabinet again this morning, the eighth time the group has met since the Bondi shootings last weekend.
Albanese is expected to join mourners commemorating the 15 people killed at a memorial service at Bondi beach tonight, with the theme of “a night in unity”.
Sunday has been declared a national day of reflection to honour the victims and to give Australians a chance to stand in solidarity with the country’s Jewish community. A national day of mourning is planned in 2026 and a permanent memorial site is expected to be built in the future.
Yesterday the prime minister said he expected tonight’s commemorations at Bondi to be “a very significant event for our nation”.
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Minns says the thought that something might have been done to avoid or prevent the attack keeps him awake at night.
It’s something I stay up at night wondering about and worrying about. I bear responsibility for it. Of course I do. I was the premier of the state over the last two years when there’s been this ratcheting up of antisemitism in our community.
This is why the premier says a royal commission is necessary to “ensure it doesn’t happen again”.
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Minns: 'We are not going to solve this huge problem with more hate'
The premier says authorities can’t do anything to stop an anti-immigration rally planned for Sunday in Sydney but that any gathering will be met with a “massive police presence”.
What I would say is this is the last thing we need right now, an attack on immigrants or immigrant communities. The Jewish community are burying their dead and deserve an opportunity to do that [in a] state of grace and with some peace. We are not going to solve this huge problem with more hate.
Minns said those who are angry or concerned might honour the request of a rabbi who was killed during the Bondi attacks who suggested people do a “good deed for someone you’ve never met” instead of giving into a “corkscrew of hate”.
If you want to do something positive, give blood, donate to charity, do something positive.
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Minns describes ‘evil washing machine of hate’ linking pro-Palestine protests to Bondi attacks
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has also pledged to “fight radical terrorism”, antisemitism and racism “wherever we find it” in the wake of the Bondi attacks.
The premier made the comments while speaking to ABC News following an earlier appearance on Channel Seven, where he described extremist ideology as an “evil washing machine of hate with different things tipped into the top”.
However, the premier said that he believed there was a slippery slope where slogans and social media posts manifested in vandalism and arson against Jewish places of worship.
I believe antisemitism begins with slogans and then it graduates online and then it’s a Twitter post and then it’s antisemitism in the street, and then it’s graffiti on the side of the synagogue, then we saw a synagogue burned to the ground in arson, and then it manifests itself in violent acts in our community. This is an escalation, and I believe that in many cases when you see violent imagery and hateful slogans and chanting on the steps of the Opera House or in our parks, or in our community, it is unleashing forces that the organisers of the protests can’t control.
Whatever the reasons for those protests and genuine grievances or concerns about what is happening overseas, my responsibility is in Sydney today.
The premier’s mention of the Opera House protest referred to events on 10 October 2023. Two days after the Hamas attack, pro-Palestine activists marched from Sydney town hall to the Opera House, which had been lit up in white and blue in solidarity with Israel after the 7 October attacks by Hamas.
A widely shared video of the protest included claims the protesters were chanting “Gas the Jews”, although NSW police later said an independent expert had analysed audio and visual files and concluded that the phrase used was “Where’s the Jews?”. The chant “Fuck the Jews” was also used.
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No ‘back to normal’ after Bondi attacks, Minns flags
Minns flagged “enormous change” within New South Wales, saying that there’s no “[going] back to normal” after the Bondi attacks.
We’ve announced the first tranche of changes in NSW in relation to hate speech, protests, gun laws, terrorist slogans, terrorist chants. But this isn’t the end of it. And I just want to make it clear in five, six, 10 weeks’ time, we just can’t turn the page on this and pretend that it didn’t exist and everybody goes back to normal.
Minns reiterated his pledge to crackdown on “hate preachers” within New South Wales saying his government will work to target “those that preach hate in our community, that put hate in young people’s hearts”.
We need to send a persistent and long-term message that we’re not going to put up with this. And it’s not the country that most of us in Australia recognise.
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Royal commission into Bondi shooting will complete 'jigsaw puzzle' of how attack occurred, premier says
A royal commission into the events surrounding the Bondi attacks will complete the “jigsaw” and give Australians the answers they are looking for in the wake of the attacks, the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, says.
Speaking to Channel Seven’s Sunrise on Sunday morning, the premier said an independent inquiry was “absolutely essential” to better understand happened and shape his state government’s response going forward.
I’ve got bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. We know parts of why this occurred on Sunday, but until we have the full picture … I can’t explain that to the people of NSW.
The Premier said he could not offer a timeframe for when it will happen as he still had to consult with Jewish community leaders.
Minns added the details of any royal commission would need to be worked out in coordination with the federal government to ensure it was given the proper authority.
We need to make sure the terms of reference are tight. And I don’t mind telling you this morning I haven’t drafted them yet, and I’m not going to draft them until I speak to leaders of the Jewish community who’ve been burying their dead this week.
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Thirteen people still being treated in hospital
Thirteen people injured during the Bondi attacks remain in hospital where they are undergoing treatment, according to a NSW Health update at 7.30 this morning.
In its latest update, New South Wales health authorities say the patients are receiving care in hospitals across Sydney, with one patient in a critical condition at St Vincent’s hospital.
Three people are in a critical but stable condition at St George and St Vincent’s hospitals.
Another nine people are in a stable condition and receiving treatment at the Prince of Wales, Royal Prince Alfred and Royal North Shore hospitals.
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Good morning and welcome to the live blog
A week since 15 people were killed in a terror attack at a Hanukah event at Bondi beach, Australians will remember the 15 lives lost in a national day of mourning.
Flags will fly at half-mast and buildings will be lit in yellow as the nation stands in solidarity with the Jewish community on Sunday before a formal public service for victims and survivors. Lights will beam into the sky above Bondi Pavilion, where thousands of flowers and tributes have been laid since the tragedy.
NSW parliament will sit this coming week to consider legislation in response to the Bondi attack, Chris Minns has said – we’ll bring you all the reactions to his announcement yesterday that the state will move to ban the display of hateful symbols, matching national laws, and give police new powers.
And Anthony Albanese has backed Minns’s call for a state-based royal commission – more on that soon too.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …
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