Ahmed al Ahmed, the fruit seller hailed as the Bondi Beach shooting hero, has described the moment he leapt on a gunman and wrested away a weapon during last month’s massacre in Sydney, as families of victims issued a fresh call for a national inquiry into antisemitism and systemic failures they say enabled the attack.
In an interview published by a U.S. outlet, al Ahmed said he ran toward one of the attackers to protect “innocent people” as gunfire sent crowds scrambling across Sydney’s famed shoreline on Dec. 14. Authorities say father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram targeted a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what officials have described as an antisemitic terrorist attack.
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Al Ahmed, whose actions were captured in videos that ricocheted across social media, said he ducked between parked cars before closing on one gunman. “I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost,” he said, recalling that he “jumped” on the assailant’s back, grabbed him with his right hand and commanded, “Drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing.” He had been at the beach to get a coffee when the shooting began.
Shot several times in the shoulder during the struggle, al Ahmed has undergone multiple surgeries. “I don’t want to see people killed in front of me, I don’t want to see blood, I don’t want to hear his gun, I don’t want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help,” he told the network.
Relatives in Syria said al Ahmed emigrated to Australia in 2007. “His act is a source of pride for us and for Syria,” his uncle Mohammed said in their hometown of Al-Nayrab. Australia has fast-tracked visas for some of his family, according to local media. “Ahmed has shown the courage and values we want in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
Police shot and killed Sajid Akram, 50, during the attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998. His son, Naveed, 24, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody on charges including terrorism and 15 counts of murder, as well as committing a “terrorist act” and planting a bomb with intent to harm. He has yet to enter a plea.
Seventeen families who lost loved ones have urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to “immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the rapid rise of anti-Semitism in Australia” and to examine “law enforcement, intelligence, and policy failures that led to the Bondi Beach massacre.” In an open letter, they wrote: “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 dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward.”
Albanese has resisted calls for a federal royal commission, saying his government favors urgent action rather than waiting “years for answers.” “We need to get on with any changes that are required,” he told reporters, emphasizing a focus on unity and social cohesion. He said a New South Wales–led royal commission, given the shooting occurred in that state, would suffice and pledged federal support.
Canberra has flagged proposed reforms to gun ownership and hate-speech laws and a review of policing and intelligence services. Burke warned that a nationwide royal commission could provide “some of the worst statements and worst voices” a platform to relive “the worst examples of anti-Semitism over the last two years,” which he said would not serve unity or national security.
Families called the federal response “not nearly enough.” “You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth,” their letter said, describing the rise of anti-Semitism as a “national crisis.” They added: “You cannot bring back our loved ones. But with a well-led Commonwealth Royal Commission and strong action, you may be able to save many more.”
The demand has been echoed by leaders in the Jewish community and some legal experts. “We deserve answers. Only a royal commission has the coercive powers to get to the bottom of how this was allowed to happen and what needs to change in this country to prevent the next massacre,” Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told national broadcaster ABC.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
