Australia announces bravery award for Bondi Beach terror attack heroes

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday plans for a national bravery award to honor civilians and first responders who faced “extreme evil” during the summit. it is antisemitic terrorist attack that went away 15 dead and has thrown a heavy shadow during national holidays.

Albanese said he plans to establish a special program to honor those who put themselves at risk to help during the Hanukkah beach holiday attacks, such as Ahmed al-Ahmeda Syrian-Australian Muslim who disarmed one of the attackers before he could injure himself.

The attackers, identified as Sajid Akram, were killed by the police during the incident December 14 attackand his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, are they are accused of doing It is Australia’s worst homicide since 1996.

Speaking at a press conference after a Christmas Day lunch at a charity in Sydney, Albanese described the holiday season as defined by the stark contrast between dangerous violence and “the best of humanity.”

“This Christmas is different because of the fight against terrorism and terrorist attacks inspired by ISIS and anti-Semitism,” Albanese said. “But at the same time as we’ve seen the worst of humanity, we’ve seen courage and kindness and compassion … for those who run into danger.”

Heroic actions in the midst of this tragedy

The proposed awards would honor those nominated and recommended for bravery or commendation awards under the existing Australian Honors and Awards system for their actions during and after the attack. Officials have not yet said who will be honored.

Days after Ahmed’s story came out, members of the public donated more than $1.5 million to help the 44-year-old father and store owner who was seen in the video fighting one of the gunmen from behind and holding the gun in his hands. He was shot multiple times in the left arm, apparently by the second gunman, and was expected to face months of recovery.

“Ahmed did a really heroic job,” his cousin, Mohammad al Ahmed, told The Associated Press. “Without hesitation, he confronted a terrorist and disarmed him just to save innocent people.”

Other accounts of heroism emerged, including extraordinary acts of heroism by victims who did not survive.

They include a married couple in their 60s, Boris and Sofia Gurmanwho were seen in the video trying to stop the attack just before it happened. In the photo, Boris Gurman can be seen taking a gun from one of the two gunmen as they fired several shots. weapons in their car, which had an ISIS flag on the windshield. Moments later, the Gurmans were shot dead.

“This encapsulates who Boris and Sofia were – people who tried to help others by sacrificing themselves,” their family said in a statement.

Another male, 62 years old Reuven Morrisonhe was shot dead when he threw bricks at one of the attackers.

“According to my sources and my understanding, he jumped up when the shooting started. He was able to throw bricks at the terrorists,” his daughter, Sheina Gutnick, told CBS News the day after the attack. His actions were also captured on video.

Gutnick criticized the government and police for “not being trained for this massacre, not being trained for what’s to come, not being trained for what the Jewish community has been telling the Australian government is inevitable,” he added to the chorus. criticism after a documented increase in hate attacks addressed to Jewish residents of Australia.

An American who was at the Bondi Beach party, Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff, ran to the aid of a police officer who had been shot and took off his shirt to use as a prop, his father told CBS News. A short time later, Lazaroff was also shot and wounded, and his teacher was killed. “As I was talking to Leibel, she said, ‘I wish I could have done more,'” her father said.

Australia is tightening gun laws

Just a day after he pushed for the country’s strictest gun laws, New South Wales state leader Chris Minns issued a call for national unity, urging Australians to support their Jewish neighbors during what he described as two days of “sadness and pain.”

“Everyone in Australia needs to hug them and lift them up,” Minss said at a press conference on Thursday. “I want them to know that the people of Australia have received their reward. We are in their corner and we will help them get through this.”

I firearms changespassed the New South Wales state legislature on Christmas Eve, it includes gun ownership for every four people and reclassifying high-risk weapons such as pump-action guns.

The Act also strengthens licensing by reducing the terms of permits to two years, restricts ownership to Australian citizens and removes the review process for license refusals.

“Gun reform alone will not solve hate or extremism, but we will not fail to take action to prevent access to weapons that may cause more violence against our citizens,” Minns said earlier in the week when introducing the proposed laws.

Other new laws would ban the public display of terrorist symbols and give police expanded powers to restrict public gatherings in certain areas following terrorist incidents.

Albanese also announced plans to tighten Australia’s already strict gun laws.