Like all Australians, Bondi isn’t just a place to me, it lives in my heart as a symbol of who we are. As a child I spent many Sundays on the beach at North Bondi life-savers as a “nipper”, and as a former mayor of Waverley council and a local councillor for more than a decade, I have walked its concrete ramparts thousands of times, in all its seasons.
In a few weeks, visitors from every corner of the globe will gather there to celebrate Christmas. For locals, it is a place of peace and play. For the small Jewish community, it is also a place where festivals are marked openly and proudly.
Sunday night was the first night we celebrated Hanukah (think of it as Jewish Christmas). Over the years, in my official role, I attended many Hanukah ceremonies. They were always occasions of light, joy and belonging. That is why these murders have been so shocking to the peace-loving citizens of Bondi, and especially to the Jewish community.
We are a small community. I know some of those who were murdered and injured. This is not an abstract tragedy for us; it is profoundly personal. My heart breaks for the victims, their loved ones, and for all those who experienced the trauma of this act of terrorism. At the same time, I am in awe of the extraordinary heroism of those who stepped forward, at great personal risk, to defend innocent congregants and bystanders.
What compounds the grief is fear. In recent years, Jewish people in Australia have felt threatened, dismissed, alienated and, at times, openly vilified. There is a temptation to explain away or qualify this by reference to political differences or debates about events in the Middle East. But that misses the point. Every Jew is not responsible for every decision made by the Israeli government. The right to live free from fear in Australia should not depend on a person’s politics, their views on the Middle East, or their religion.
Over the past two and a half years, some groups have deliberately travelled to events in the city, Bondi and the Eastern Suburbs to intimidate the local Jewish community, often with little public condemnation. At protest marches, chants calling for violence against Jews have been heard, reinforcing the message, whether intended or not, that Jewish people are fair game. When racial and religious hatred is left unaddressed and intimidation is tolerated, it creates an environment that emboldens the worst elements of society and leaves Jewish people feeling diminished. Each of us has a responsibility to speak up, and all Australians must come together now to support those of us living in fear.
This is not a demand for special treatment. It is a call for basic decency, equal concern and the simple acknowledgement that Jewish Australians are entitled to live without fear, in the same way as any other community.
George Newhouse is a human rights lawyer and former mayor of Waverley council in Sydney.
