Standing together

The worst terror attack in Australia's history, on a Jewish festival in Sydney, has left a grieving nation to also wrestle with difficult questions of gun control, social harmony and antisemitism

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N THE FADING LIGHT, they came back to Bondi, to light candles, to sing and to stand together, in solidarity and in defiance of the terror that had been visited upon their beach, their world.

Across Bondi, and Sydney, and Australia, people lit candles in solidarity with the Jewish community, which suffered the worst antisemitic attack in the country's history when two gunmen allegedly opened fire on a Hanukah celebration at Bondi beach shortly after 6.40pm last Sunday evening.

Fifteen people, including a 10-yearold girl, a London-born rabbi whose fifth child was born only two months ago, and an 87-year-old survivor of the Holocaust, were among the slain.

The "Chanukah By the Sea" event had promised faith and fraternity.

"Come celebrate the light of Chanukah together with the community," a promotional flyer said, "bring your friends, bring the family, let's fill Bondi with joy and light." Instead, the event brought darkness, brought terror. The candles are now lit in memory. The songs are mourning songs.

"I would ... join with others who have urged Australians across the country to light a candle," the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said, "put it in their front window... to show that light will indeed defeat darknesspart of what Hanukah celebrates.

"We are stronger than the cowards who did this." The two alleged attackers were a father and son from Bonnyrigg, in Sydney's west. Fifty-year-old Sajid Akram was licensed to own six firearms. Police believe it was these guns that were used in the attack. His son Naveed is 24.

Sajid was shot and killed by police.

Naveed was critically injured: he was on Monday in hospital under police guard.