We need to grieve, not have a divisive and unruly debate

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Sussan Ley wants parliament urgently recalled to pass legislation that “eliminates antisemitism” (“Antisemitism laws to push constitutional limit”, December 19). She misses an important fact. Laws might suppress the explicit promotion of violence, but they will not sweep away the underlying sickness of religious and racial hatred. It’s possible (though highly improbable) that Ley genuinely does not understand this, but more likely that her call is an attempt to gain political capital by attacking Albanese in the parliamentary theatre. In a moment when Ley should have risen above politics, she didn’t. Gary Stowe, Springwood

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and immigration spokesman Paul Scarr.

The Australian Institute of Criminology confirms that in 2024-25 there were 33 Indigenous deaths in custody – 26 in prison, six in police custody and one in youth detention. The Voice to parliament referendum was an attempt to ameliorate some of the problems that culminate in this tragic toll. It was rejected because opponents were against “dividing” Australia and treating one community differently from another. Yet the most strident opponents of the Voice are now demanding urgent legislation that will fundamentally alter Australia and is specifically designed for one community. Jack Amond, Cabarita

The Racial Discrimination Act 18C makes it unlawful for someone to publicly “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” a person or a group of people. In 2014, the Liberals wished to amend 18C after Andrew Bolt offended Indigenous Australians. George Brandis, then attorney-general, stated that people “do have a right to be a bigot”. The response to stop “incubators of hate” is appropriate, but political parties need to appreciate the nuances of the debate. Otherwise, it looks like the bigots win after all. Jo Rainbow, Orange

In the wake of such an unfathomable tragedy, the demands that parliament be recalled next week are disappointing. This is a time for families and the community to grieve. It’s a time for government and security agencies to consider what needs to be done urgently and what needs more time and consideration before we act. It’s a time when we want our leaders to make good decisions for our future. Most importantly, it is a time when we need to stand together against hate. The backdrop of an unruly, angry, divisive debate on the floor of parliament is the last thing we need. Everything I have seen this week suggests that recalling parliament so close to the tragic event will only divide us further. We need to stand together, grieve together and take a breath. There will be a time for reckoning and recriminations. Now is not that time. Tony Judge, Woolgoolga

I think the letter writers in The Sydney Morning Herald capture the mood of the nation far better than opposition politicians and many in the media. Australians want to mourn the loss of life, remember the bravery of those at Bondi and rejoice in the strengths of this country of ours. Continually seeking to blame and attack governments is not what we are about. Caring for each other in this terrible time of need is what we want to focus on. Ron Brown, Wallsend

At this time of national pain, I feel the words of former chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks are particularly poignant. “Jews cannot fight antisemitism alone. The victim cannot cure the crime. The hated cannot cure the hate. It would be the greatest mistake for Jews to believe that they can fight it alone. The only people who can successfully combat antisemitism are those active in the cultures that harbour it.” Jeremy Brender, West Richmond (SA)

No protection

Just like after other antisemitic events in his country, Prime Minister Albanese has condemned the attack on Jews at Bondi Beach. I am not an expert on security matters, but I do know that there are not a huge number of Jewish institutions and events for Australian security services to guard. Therefore, it stands to reason that Australia should have the capability to protect its Jewish population (“Police were young and outgunned: Where was the back-up at Bondi?”, December 18). Its leaders have merely lacked the will. Attacks on Jews are rising. In the face of that, how many police officers were at Bondi to guard 1000 Jews? Four? Eight? That is an outrageous dereliction of duty. Enough of this already. A leader’s priority is to protect people from violence, not condemn the violence. Richard Schlussel, New Jersey (USA)

Police at Bondi Pavilion at the memorial for shooting victims.

While I agree that the actions of all political parties to tackle antisemitism have been too little, too late, Samantha Selinger-Morris best expresses the daily reality for Jewish Australians (“Hate stalks us. Will it follow my kids?“, December 19). The terrible fact is that even if more had been done, the two extremists would have remained intent on perpetrating last Sunday’s atrocity. According to ASIO, the probability of an attack was 50 per cent. In hindsight, this probably points to critical shortcomings at a range of security agencies. I trust that a thorough, objective review will be forthcoming because, regrettably, it will be more than a generation before Australians can consider relaxing the intense security arrangements needed for our Jewish community’s safety. Peter Allen, Castle Cove

Much is being made of the lack of police security at the Hanukkah gathering at Bondi and how it should have been the responsibility of the government to provide it. Many festivals have been forced to shut down, including the wonderful Katoomba winter magic procession, because of the exorbitant cost of compulsory insurance and police security. Perhaps in this time of tragedy we should reflect on whose responsibility it is to pay for security at any large event. Is it the government’s duty, or that of the event organisers? Katriona Herborn, Blackheath

While many of us are concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence in our work and studies, providing relevant information on security issues of the type that led to the Bondi massacre could be an ideal application. Three apparently unrelated events – a son previously investigated for potential extremist links, a father who obtained a gun licence and a trip by the pair to the Philippines – are probably too disparate to be picked up by human observers in different agencies of government with limited resources, but an appropriately trained Deep Learning platform could be deployed to identify potential connections linking these activities and raise a red flag. Dale Bailey, St Leonards

Former PM calls it out

Just as former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert acknowledges he is “not always on the same page with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese”, I don’t agree with everything Olmert writes in his opinion piece (“Your PM is right to back a two-state solution”, December 19). But he’s correct about two things. First, Palestinian nationhood is essential to Israel’s security. Blaming the Bondi massacre on Australia’s recognition of Palestine, as some have done, is ill informed and irresponsible. On this score, the Albanese government deserves credit for having proceeded, if ever so slowly, with integrity. Second, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticisms, foolishly echoed by Coalition politicians and some sections of the media, must be ignored. As Olmert says, Netanyahu “exploits tragedies to attack allies, only to deflect from his own profound failures”. One might say something similar about the Coalition’s political opportunism. Tom Knowles, Parkville (Vic)

It was good to read former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s sensible column. He said clearly that Anthony Albanese can’t be blamed for the shootings at Bondi. The Jewish Council of Australia is a group that has shown itself to be moderate and able to work constructively with Palestinians. It is time to widen the circle of consultation to include more progressive Jews, Muslims and Christians, to bring about changes that protect against religious hate in all its forms. Unlike some, I believe guns are the problem, and much stricter measures need to be taken. Amalina Wallace, Erskineville

Teach your children well

There is no need to teach any more religious ideology or single-interest topics in schools (“Antisemitism fight to be taken into kinders, schools and universities”, December 19). What is needed is ethics education – the teaching of values and morals, critical thinking and discerning judgment. Religious organisations have long fought against ethics instruction in schools in favour of their own particular belief systems. Now is the time to introduce a secular curriculum that applies to all religious denominations. Please, David Gonski, be brave enough to take this step. Patricia Farrar, Concord

I appreciate the government’s intention to combat antisemitism. However, as it pertains to schools, shouldn’t the objective be broader? Antisemitism and other prejudices would be equally addressed with the introduction of ethics in schools. Ethics’ broad scope puts all religions, non-believers, races and cultures on an equal footing. Along with this, teach civics, in which our understanding of government and citizenship rights and responsibilities is developed, including the capacity to determine fact from fiction. Just a little each week goes a long way. If the idea is to develop citizens informed of our shared humanity and responsibilities, then ethics and civics should become core topics in schools. Marie Del Monte, Ashfield

In 40 years of public school teaching, I can say I never witnessed antisemitism in the classroom. I have taught students with texts like the Diary of Anne Frank (Letters, December 19) and others that also portray the tragic history of the Jewish people in World War II, such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Book Thief, The Fiftieth Gate and Life is Beautiful. Students are also universally taught about the Holocaust to educate them about such history, and I have always found them to display real empathy for the victims. I hear the call from politicians, particularly Josh Frydenburg, to direct teachers to fix yet another social ill. The classroom is not where hate lives. Teachers are not breeding antisemitism. Lorraine Hickey, Green Point

Anne Frank died in the Holocaust at age 15.

Mark Twain famously wrote that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness”, his point being that personal interaction with people of varying backgrounds is a gateway to understanding others. The same can be said for our comprehensive public schools. There, children mix every day with a broad range of others from various religions, races, cultures and economic circumstances. Many other children, however, are segregated into faith and culturally based private schools, and thus have limited interactions with different people. The calls from cultural and religious leaders for the broader teaching of their own historical perspectives, when at the same time children of their very cohort are sheltered in educational silos are ironic. There’s a better solution to entrenched bigotry staring us in the face. Michael Murray, Cammeray

In NSW public schools, there is still a designated period each week in which members of faith communities are invited to come into schools to teach about their particular religions. I would propose that this period of religious education in one faith be converted to a period in which children learn about many different religions and belief systems. As a retired teacher, I understand that the curriculum is already overcrowded, but it would seem to me that learning to live in peace and harmony with people of all (or no) faiths should be the highest priority for our society. Sadly, this understanding must be taught, as the structure of our demographics and the large number of independent and often religion-based schools means that most children have little opportunity to interact and gain experience with others from different ethnic, religious or socio-economic backgrounds. Judi LeVine, Manly

One only has to look at the list of secondary schools in Australia to see one possible cause of division in our society. The downgrading of public schools and the continued rise of religious and other schools creates a “them” and “us” mentality in the student cohort. Having worked in public and private schools, I know this to be true. By all means, include studies of antisemitism in the curriculum, but those in authority should look more widely for solutions. Vicki Barker, Harrington

There have been calls for greater education in our schools and universities regarding the Holocaust. I fully support the idea, and would add the history of Israel from the first Zionist conference in Switzerland in 1897 to the present day. Graeme Finn, Campsie

Nation in good hands

The HSC results show that Australia’s future is in good hands (“Class of 2025 told HSC results”, December 19). We clearly have talent galore to move the country forward. Well done to everyone who did their best, and congratulations to all those who did so well. Now that you have taken this big step, it’s time to decide on a career that suits you. Choose wisely and you will enjoy a rewarding working life. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach

Amid the darkness, hope, in news of our top-performing HSC students (“North Sydney Boys, James Ruse on top of HSC rankings”, December 19). For me, the most refreshing part of the stories was the wide range of careers our students hope to pursue: politics, ecology, teaching and law. It’s great to see our best and brightest are choosing such varied career paths. Ross MacPherson, Seaforth

Penrith Selective High School students Yingye Chen, Shabad Nagpal, Freya Stewart, Ryan Wen and Rupali Wadhwa celebrate their HSC results..

When I see all those smiling faces of the North Sydney Boys HSC class of 2025 I am reminded what an amazing country this is. Many, if not most, appear to be first- or second-generation migrants, here in this country to better their lives while at the same time providing us with the extraordinary standard of scholars who will become our future leaders in science, medicine, business and hopefully politics. Congratulations guys. Amanda Jordan, Artarmon

Heed call for action

Does Shaun Carney seriously believe Anthony Albanese would have rushed to announce his five-point plan (“Labor races to write new laws targeting hate preachers”, December 19) if John Howard hadn’t provided his scathing critique. If Carney thinks Howard went too far (“Albanese critics have gone too far“, December 18), I shudder to think what he makes of Josh Frydenberg’s systematic dismantling of the leadership capabilities of Australia’s prime minister. The federal government’s appeasement of radical anti-Israel sentiment has facilitated a climate in which antisemitism has been allowed to grow. Howard didn’t go too far. Nor have the public figures who demand the prime minister take action. Riley Brown, Bondi Beach

PM Anthony Albanese with Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke.

Thank you, Sarah Zwartz, for saying what needed to be said (Letters, December 19). The true failure is not the PM, it’s the failure of political bipartisanship. Using the trauma of Bondi for political advantage divides us and gives the alleged terrorists exactly what they wanted. Mark Porter, New Lambton

To all your correspondents saying it is unfair to blame the Albanese government for the Bondi massacre and asking what he should have done, the Jewish community organisations had been warning for two years that something like this would happen, suggesting concrete steps to combat the antisemitism that led to this horror, and pleading with the government to do more. And it is not divisive politics to point this failure out. It is incredibly disappointing that so many people are rushing to defend Albanese and attack the Coalition, rather than heeding the Jewish community’s views. Danny Samuels, Malvern (Vic)

Guns and hatred

How can we celebrate this Christmas in the shadow of all the families who are grieving? I know I shan’t. It’s the guns. It’s always the guns. As long as they are freely available to individuals with hatred in their hearts, these horrific attacks will continue to happen. It’s time to ban guns altogether. Llieda Wild, Eastwood

Tough job

Best of luck to whoever becomes the new CEO of Woodside (“Woodside boss resigns to run global oil giant BP”, December 19). Taking the helm of a company that continues to damage ecosystems and accelerate climate instability all to extract short‑term profit from a product widely expected to become a stranded asset is more of a reckoning than a career opportunity. Larni Dibben, Glen Iris (Vic)

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