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‘We must do more’: Wong apologizes to Jewish community for Bondi terror attack
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‘We must do more’: Wong apologizes to Jewish community for Bondi terror attack

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Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed sadness over the Bondi terror attack and admitted more could have been done before Australia’s worst mass shooting in three decades.
When asked if she would apologize to the Jewish community, Wong said she “completely regrets what happened in our country and what the Jewish community went through.”
“Grief is not political, sadness is felt when we go to our places of worship, when we light a candle for those lost and for those who mourn, when we hold our children close,” she told her hometown newspaper The Advertiser.
“These are moments when I think we’ve all grieved.”

She would visit Bondi “when it is appropriate” and had not attended victims’ funerals because “funerals are intensely personal and generally family led”.

“I respect what families want and I respect their grief, which is overwhelming,” she said.
Anti-Semitism was “unacceptable and … the government has acted,” Wong said.
“Of course in politics and in life you always regret what more could have been done. I think we have made that clear. We have taken action, but we have to do more and we are.”
Asked whether Australia should tighten immigration, Wong said Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had announced the strengthening of visa cancellation and visa refusal powers.
“I think it’s the right thing to do,” she said.
The apology comes after Wong was accused by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley of not attending Bondi commemorations or funerals, saying she had “not seen Penny Wong shed a single tear”.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen described Ley’s outburst as “pretty disgusting” and argued that it reflected more on Ley than Wong.

Wong’s deputy promises a crackdown on anti-Semitism

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of State Matt Thistlethwaite has stated that the ALP will not tolerate anti-Semitism within its own ranks and that such behavior will be dealt with quickly and robustly.

Thistlethwaite, who is also assistant immigration minister, said he has visited Bondi “countless times” since the attack, including the “very moving” vigil.

“My message to the Jewish community is that our government is here to support you, to help you,” he said on Saturday.
“We are acting on the recommendations of the Jillian Segal report to strengthen the laws to ensure we combat anti-Semitism in Australia.

“We owe it to the Australian Jewish community to act now, keep them safe and take steps to ensure they are free to practice their religion and their faith in Australia in safety.”

Referring to an internal letter to ALP leaders in NSW calling for stronger action to combat antisemitism within the party’s ranks, Thistlethwaite said Labor would “not tolerate” such behavior.

“I would encourage any member who witnesses or sees any form of antisemitism within our party to report it and ensure it is investigated as soon as possible,” he said.

The search continues for the suspect in the Melbourne firebombing

Ten people remain in Sydney hospitals recovering from injuries sustained in the December 14 attack.
Four remain in critical condition, while the other six are stable, NSW Health said on Saturday.

The firebombing of a rabbi’s car in Melbourne on Christmas Day was an “unspeakable attack” and Wong said she condemned it, “especially as the Australian Jewish community mourns the horrific events of Bondi”.

It comes as Victoria Police continue to search for a person of interest in the attack on a car displaying a Hanukkah sign in Melbourne.
On Friday they published a photo of 47-year-old John Argento, also called John Seckold.

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