Australia to debate anti-hate and gun reforms after 15 killed in Bondi Beach terror attack.

The Australian parliament will meet again on January 19 and 20 to discuss broad reforms in the wake of the terror attack at Bondi Beach on December 14 that claimed 15 lives during a Hanukkah celebration. The Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill was introduced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. It increases the penalties for hate crimes, creates new offenses for radicalizers and hate preachers, and requires that extremist motivations be taken into account when sentencing. The package includes a National Guns Buyback Scheme that restricts the ownership of firearms and requires Australian citizenship for gun licenses. Additionally, it will be preceded by a motion of condolence, strengthens prohibitions on Nazi symbols, and gives the home affairs minister the authority to revoke the visas of hate propagandists. While Jewish community leaders applauded the intention but called for a thorough examination of the details, opposition leaders have criticized the combination of hate speech and gun control measures as problematic.