CANBERRA – Australia’s federal parliament has paid tribute to the victims of the after being reconvened to debate new laws proposed in response to the terror attack.
The federal parliament on Monday morning observed a minute of silence as a motion was tabled to honor the 15 victims of the attack that targeted an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at the iconic beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Dec 14.
Addressing the parliament, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Monday should have been just “another day” for the victims.
“Instead, our parliament comes together in sorrow to offer our nation’s condolences to the people who knew and loved them best,” he said.
Josh Burns, one of the most prominent Jewish members of Albanese’s Labor Party government, said that Australia’s response to the attack would define the country.
“We must not dehumanize each other, because dehumanization is what leads to exactly what happened in Bondi,” he said.