Topics: Bondi Beach Terror Attack

KIERAN GILBERT: Let's go live now to former ambassador to Israel, former member for Wentworth, uh, in that that represented Bondi and liberal senator, uh, Dave Sharma, who knows that area well, knows some of the victims very well and personally. Dave, uh, first of all, look, can I just say condolences to you? The loss of some of your friends in that shooting, as we seek to wrap our arms around the beloved Jewish community of this nation, Dave.

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DAVE SHARMA: Well, oh, thank you, Kieran. It's a, it's a tragic day for obviously, um, the victims, their families, the Jewish community, but I think for the whole of Australia as well. I mean, this is a, the worst ever terrorist attack on Australian soil. What should have been a joyous and happy occasion, a religious celebration, a fixture of the, um, the calendar at Bondi, the Hanukkah the park celebration turned into a, a charnel house, a scene of carnage and distress and terror. It's just ... I can't describe how, um, how horrific it is.

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KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah. And those who are, many of us, our viewers, I'm sure so many have been to, to that very spot in Bondi. Um, it's a, it's a place of, of, meant to be a place of joy, of happiness, of, of sharing, experiences and, and cooling down on a summer day, not to be ducking for cover or lying over a, a toddler to save their lives. This is just beyond belief, Dave.

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DAVE SHARMA: It is. And look, um, you know, as you said in some of your remarks earlier, Bondi is a place that's known to many people around the world. It's one of the most iconic place names and beaches in Australia. and I think it's partly why we've seen the extensive global reaction we have already, because people can immediately relate to this. Many who visit Australia would have, been through the park where the celebration was happening, walked over the footbridge where the terrorists were shooting from. I think everyone can relate to this quite intimately. It's a terribly sad day for our nation, but I must say, I mean, the death count is still coming in, but I just feel, awful and, and sharing the grief of those who've loved ones and those who are praying for the recovery of, um, family members and friends who are injured and in hospital right now.

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KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah, indeed. Mm-hmm. It is enormous grief, among them, and I've seen the photo of you with your friend Rabbi Eli Shlanger, who is among the victims, Dave, someone who, leaves behind a family, but also a loved community.

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DAVE SHARMA: Look, that's right. Eli was someone I considered a friend. I was just in touch with him a few weeks ago, about a number of projects we'd been working on together, but he's someone who had an enthusiasm for life, always saw the best in humanity. He would go and minister and counsel, prisoners and hardened prisoners in some of our maximum security facilities. He was always trying to find the good in people and trying to bring out the good in people, and he leaves behind a loving wife, some children, including some very young children, and an extended family who I've been in touch with over the past 12 hours who are just devastated at this loss as I'm sure is true for those others who have fallen victim to this terrorist attack.

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KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah, indeed. And I want to show you this image and show our viewers. We've seen it many times, we'll see it many times to come, but the heroism of this one individual, um, um, really quite extraordinary. He's been identified as Ahmed Al-Ahmed, um, fruit shop owner. He's 43 a fruit shop owner from Sutherland, and a Muslim himself. grabs the gun, points it at the attacker, the terrorist, um ... There's a great deal of grief, of sadness, and really, I've gotta say, just contempt of this pure evil. And but then this heroism, the, the best of humanity at the same time, Dave, it's such a contrast.

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DAVE SHARMA: Look, I thoroughly commend the bravery of Ahmed Al-Ahmed and his courage and his willingness to put his own life at risk. I understand he was shot subsequent to the footage that we've seen, but wasn't, killed. But who knows how many lives he saved and it is, probably one of the few or perhaps the only ray of hope in what's otherwise been a very dark evening in our nation's history, but I commend him absolutely. And I can only marvel at the, the presence of mind and the resolve and the courage he displayed to unilaterally disarm one of the two assailants, one of the two terrorists.

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KIERAN GILBERT: Mm-hmm. Extraordinary, yeah. And we've got, we spoke to one individual who he survived October 7th and now survived the Bondi massacre. Dave, have a listen to this.

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[CLIP STARTS]

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ARSEN OSTROVSKY: I survived October 7th. I lived in Israel the last 13 years. We came here only two weeks ago to, to work with the Jewish community to fight antisemitism, to fight this bloodthirsty, ravaging hatred. That's, that's why I'm here. Um, you know, we've lived through worse. We're going to get through this and we're going to get the bastards that did this.

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REPORTER: Tell me, did you see the gunman?

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ARSEN OSTROVSKY: I did. I saw, I saw them, at least one gunman firing, looked like a shotgun, firing, randomly in all, all directions. I saw children fall into the floor. Saw,  elderly, I saw invalids, I saw, um, people just... it was an absolute bloodbath. Blood gushing everywhere. I, I, you know, October 7th, that's the last time I saw this.

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[CLIP ENDS]

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KIERAN GILBERT: Dave Sharma, yes, Arsen Ostrovsky there saying we, we will get those responsible. And, and so while we do grieve, obviously, it is a, a shocking day for this nation, but it must be a day of, a day of resolve, a day when our leaders say, "This is never going to happen again. All of the, the force of Australian law enforcement will come down on those responsible and also as a nation, we must unify."

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DAVE SHARMA: Well, I think that's right, Kieran. I mean, I think it's important that, everyone who can extends compassion and solidarity and support to any Jewish friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, professional relationships that they have because the Jewish community is, you know, quite frankly feeling terrified right now. They've been in a state of heightened anxiety over the past two years, and this is really their worst nightmare come true. But we also as a nation need to firmly renounce, these sorts of acts as, terrorist acts, as completely antithetical to who we are as a, a people and a country and a society. And make sure we bring all the resources of our government and our society and our security and intelligence agencies, to ensure that this never happens, again. And that we show maximum resolve.

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KIERAN GILBERT: Dave, thank you for the time. Again, condolences to you, your community in the east of Sydney.  

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[ENDS]

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