The family of a man hailed as a hero during the Bondi Beach terror attack says they have had no contact from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, intensifying calls for a formal inquiry into the rise of antisemitism in Australia.
Family Feels 'Forgotten' by Leadership
Sheina Gutnick, the daughter of Reuven Morrison, has revealed her family has experienced "zero contact" from the Prime Minister's office in the weeks following her father's death. Morrison was killed during the December 14 attack at the Channukah by the Sea event after confronting the shooter, Sajid Akram.
"No representative from Albanese has reached out to us whatsoever. We've been feeling so angry, and we feel like we've been forgotten in that sense," Gutnick told The Australian. Her father's final act was to throw a brick at the 50-year-old attacker, putting himself in the line of fire to protect others.
Plea for a Royal Commission into Antisemitism
Gutnick has joined a growing chorus demanding a federal royal commission to investigate the failings that led to Australia's worst terror attack, which claimed 15 lives and injured 40 people. She argues the government must take responsibility and scrutinise how each security failing was allowed to occur.
"We are feeling the immense responsibility of the government that has gone unchecked. We as a community felt that something like this was inevitable," she stated.
Her call was amplified by the Rabbinical Association of Australasia (RAA), which sent an open letter to the Prime Minister. The RAA, representing diverse Jewish streams, cited a "profound and dangerous escalation of antisemitism masquerading as anti-Zionism."
The association argued that antisemitism spreads "like a cancer" through certain rhetoric at protests and online networks, many of which fall under Commonwealth jurisdiction. While acknowledging government-initiated internal reviews, the RAA insisted only a royal commission could provide the necessary independence, transparency, and public confidence to restore badly shaken trust.
Government Response and Community Sorrow
When approached for comment by 7NEWS.com.au, the Prime Minister's office did not immediately respond. However, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has publicly expressed her sorrow for the Jewish community.
"I am desperately sorry for what has occurred in our country and what the Jewish community have experienced," Senator Wong told The Advertiser. She explained her absence from victims' funerals and the attack site was out of respect for the families' overwhelming grief, adding she would pay her respects in Bondi "when it's appropriate."
Regarding a Christmas Day firebombing aimed at a rabbi's car in Melbourne, Wong labelled it particularly damaging while the community mourns. She affirmed the government has acted against antisemitism but conceded, "we have to do more." On immigration, she supported the recent strengthening of visa cancellation powers announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
The tragedy at Bondi Beach continues to resonate, with Morrison's family and community leaders seeking not just condolences, but decisive action and accountability to prevent future violence.
