Anthony Albanese sparks outrage over missing detail in message about Bondi Beach attack: 'What a shame'
Albanese has come under fire for rejecting calls for a Royal Commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack, after a social media post urging 'acts of kindness' triggered a wave of public anger.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has drawn fierce criticism after urging Australians to perform 'acts of kindness' in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack, while continuing to reject demands for a federal inquiry.
Albanese has, so far, resisted growing calls for a national investigation into the December 14 massacre, in which brothers Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, leaving 15 people dead and dozens injured.
'In the face of the Bondi antisemitic terror attack, our Jewish community have responded with kindness and compassion,' Albanese posted on X on Sunday.
'Through the One Mitzvah for Bondi campaign we urge every Australian to bring light into the world through an act of kindness.
'From checking in on a neighbour to volunteering your time in service of others, every mitzvah brings light into the world.'
He added: 'By standing together, Australians can show that hatred and violence will never define who we are.'
His message included a link to a NSW government site inviting people to describe a 'good deed in honour of the Bondi victims.'
The reaction was immediate and scathing, with angry Australians flooding the post with criticism and accusing the Prime Minister of offering a hollow gesture.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanesehas drawn fierce criticism after urging Australians to perform 'acts of kindness' in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack, while continuing to reject demands for a federal inquiry
'What a shame that you didn't show the same kindness toward our Jewish community when they were pleading for your help, Prime Minister,' one user wrote.
'So your calling to 'bring the light into the world' now is extremely shallow because our Jewish community should never have been placed in the position of having their light dimmed on December 14 in the first place,' another said.
'No one cares about what you have to say unless it's an announcement of a Royal Commission,' a third added.
Meanwhile, grieving families who lost loved ones in the Bondi attack have sent an open letter to Albanese, demanding a royal commission.
'You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth,' the letter reads.
Relatives of 11 victims, including 10-year-old Matilda and 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, signed the letter, along with family members of Sofia and Boris Gurman, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Reuven Morrison, Edith Brutman, Tibor Weitzen, Yaakov Levitan, Tania Tretiak, and Boris Tetleroyd.
'We demand answers and solutions. We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how anti-Semitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to grow dangerously unchecked and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward,' they wrote.