Tag Archives: oceania

‘She’s waltzing with the angels’: Bondi Beach terror attack victims laid to rest

The families of three victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack said goodbye to their loved ones today for the last time, including the family of Matilda, the youngest victim in the mass shooting.

The 10-year-old's funeral was held at a synagogue in Woollahra as friends and family spilled onto the streets.

"She bore the name Matilda, to honour this great land, Australia's heart and spirit, forever hand in hand," NSW Premier Chris Minns said, reading Ode to Matilda, a poem written in her honour.

LIVE UPDATES: Alleged Bondi gunman charged with 15 counts of murder

A woman carries balloons to the funeral of Bondi Beach mass shooting victim 10-year-old Matilda, whose last name is being withheld at the request of her family, in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)Family place the coffin into a hearse following a service for Bondi Beach mass shooting victim 10-year-old Matilda, whose last name is being withheld at the request of her family, in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)

"She's waltzing with the angels, where love will always stay."

There was a significant police presence at the funeral, with officers seen checking flower bouquets to ensure they didn't contain any hidden weapons.

"Every victim is going to resonate in our community, but Matilda, a 10-year-old, did not deserve any of this," a family friend said.

Earlier in the day, a funeral was held at the same synagogue for the mass shooting's oldest victim, 87-year-old Alex Kleytman.

The Holocaust survivor and Russian immigrant died while shielding his wife, Larisa.

READ MORE: Man charged over alleged antisemitic threats on flight from Bali to Sydney

A third funeral was also held at Bondi Synagogue as grandfather Tibor Weitzen was laid to rest and remembered for how he lived rather than how he died.

"We just hope that these lives lost were not lost in vain and that there are major changes, that [this] never ever happen[s] again," a family friend said.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey announced that the federal and state governments will cover the funeral costs of the victims, as well as providing up to $75,000 to the victims and family members of those who died in Sunday's attacks.

"We'll also be covering funeral costs and burial costs, and we will cover repatriation costs for those who have lost loved ones who are overseas," he said.

"We'll also be covering travel costs for family members that are coming from overseas or interstate to attend funerals as well."

Business support packages of up to $20,000 are also set to be provided to small businesses affected by the attack that turned the iconic beach into a crime scene for multiple days.

The package includes $5000 one-off grants for small businesses in eligible locations and up to $20,000 grants for impacted small businesses in the immediate vicinity, and funding for various community groups.

Business NSW chief executive Daniel Hunter said that the package was an important step in the recovery for the Bondi community.

READ MORE: There are over 1.1 million legal guns in NSW. New laws in the wake of the Bondi attack could drastically shrink this figure

The casket of Bondi massacre victim Alexandria Kleytman is carried from Sydney Chevra Kadisha where the funeral was held. Woollhara, NSW.

"Our Jewish community has been attacked in the most heinous way, and the pain and trauma from this act will be felt for a long time," Hunter said.

"Local businesses are integral to Bondi's social fabric. They are made up of people, workers, families and neighbours – who have been deeply affected by this tragedy.

"This support is a meaningful step in helping businesses and the community recover."

The package also includes $1.5 million for the Community Services Group to provide additional security at Jewish community locations and $1 million for Waverley Council to assist with clean-up at Bondi Beach, and for community cohesion events.

Impacted businesses can register for support from tomorrow, with applications processed from early next week.

People visit the site of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack at Archer Park after police lifted the crime scene on Thursday 18th December 2025.

Businesses can attend the Recovery Hub or contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 to organise a meeting with a Business Concierge member.

Businesses can also lodge insurance claims related to the Bondi terrorist attack.

Following the federal government's declaration of the attack a terrorist incident under the Terrorism and Cyclone Insurance Act 2003.

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‘I accept my responsibility’: Albanese makes raw admission on Bondi attack

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accepted responsibility and admitted more could have been done to combat antisemitism in the wake of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

Albanese and his government's stance on antisemitism has been the subject of growing criticism from the Jewish community and political figures after the alleged father and son gunmen killed 15 people and injured 41 more in a mass shooting on Sunday.

Today, he fronted cameras and accepted responsibility.

READ MORE: Fundraiser for Bondi hero surpasses $2.5 million in donations

"I, of course, acknowledge that more could have been done, and I accept my responsibility for the part in that as prime minister of Australia," he said.

"But what I also do is accept my responsibility to lead the nation and unite the nation.

"Because what people are looking for at this time isn't more division."

Albanese has announced a raft of reforms to tackle antisemitism after explicitly linking Sunday's terrorist attack to social attitudes following the October 7 attacks on Israel.

"Sadly, since the terrible events of October 2023, we have witnessed an increase in antisemitism, which is, of course, an ancient hatred," he said.

"We have seen a series of appalling attacks targeting Australia's Jewish community that culminated on Sunday in one of the worst acts of mass murder that this country has ever seen."

READ MORE: Heartbreaking tributes to victims of Bondi attack

The changes in the five-point plan include:

  • Harsher hate speech laws for preachers and leaders who promote violence
  • Higher penalties for hate speech that promotes violence
  • Making hate an aggravated factor in sentencing for other crimes, like online threats or harassment
  • Developing a regime for listing organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech, promote violence or racial hatred 
  • Developing a narrow federal offence for serious vilification based on race, and or advocating racial supremacy

The government will also create an Antisemitism Education Taskforce and provide new safety advice to curb antisemitism online, and grant Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke new powers to cancel or reject visas for those who spread hate and division.

Albanese has been criticised by former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott, federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg for how he has responded to a rise in antisemitism, with the Jewish community noting that they have warned about the dangers of antisemitism since the October 7 attack in 2023.

READ MORE: Former PM critical of Albanese's leadership

Former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg has demanded Anthony Albanese take responsibility for the Bondi terror attacks.

Freydenberg, who delivered the most scathing review of the government while speaking at the memorial site at Bondi, called on Albanese to accept "personal responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people".

"We, as a Jewish community, have been abandoned and left alone by our government," he said.

"Our governments have failed every Australian when it comes to fighting hate and antisemitism."

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