Prime Minister pays tribute to ‘Australian heroes’ Boris and Sofia Gurman for Bondi bravery

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to “Australian heroes” Boris and Sofia Gurman — who tried to stop the Bondi Beach mass shooters — as he declared he would do “whatever’s necessary” to stop anti-Semitism.

Dashcam footage emerged on Tuesday of the couple who appeared to try to stop Sajid Akram before he got to the footbridge to launch the attack on a Jewish event at Archer Park.

The video appears to show Mr Gurman wrestle and disarm terrorist Akram, 50, by a silver sedan Islamic State flag draped over the windscreen, as Sofia rushed towards them.

Speaking in front of the St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, the PM highlighted the pair’s incredible acts of heroics which ended in the ultimate sacrifice as Akram gunned them down.

“I pay tribute to Boris and Sofia Gurman. Boris attacked one of these terrorists as he got out of the car. And that caused Mr and Ms Gurman, who have been married for 60 years, to lose their life,” Mr Albanese said.

“I think all Australians’ thoughts and hearts are with those families as they go through farewelling loved ones.”

He also thanked 61-year-old Reuven Morrison who was killed after confronting the gunmen, throwing bricks and other objects to try to stop their murderous rampage.

“To Reuven Morrison, who threw bricks and took action to try to stop this occurring, also murdered by these terrorists. These are Australian heroes,” he said.

“Just as Ahmed al Ahmed, who I was able to meet with yesterday, is an Australian hero.

“Our thoughts are with him today, because he’s undergoing surgery today on his injuries.”

On Tuesday, former Prime Minister John Howard accused the Albanese Government of using gun laws as a “diversion” from it’s lack of action on anti-Semitism.

Mr Albanese on Wednesday defended his Government and declared he would do “whatever’s necessary” to stop anti-Semitism.

“We’ll call all of the legislative responses. We’re up for whatever’s necessary,” he said.

“I met with Jillian Segal again yesterday. I have spoken with her daily, we’re continuing to work through a whole range of the measures in the Segal report.

“Many nations such as the United States have had special envoys in anti-Semitism for a long period of time. My government is the first to appoint one, Jillian Segal is doing an extraordinary job, we’ll continue to engage with her on an ongoing basis, including that lessons that arise from this atrocity.”

It comes after Mr Morrison’s grieving daughter issued a powerful statement to the Albanese Government accusing them of a lack of action on rising anti-Semitism since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack.

His daughter Sheina Gutnick penned a lengthy open letter labelling Labor as “weak” leaders who had “dismissed Jewish warnings as noise”.

“Australia did not fail quietly. It failed loudly, repeatedly, and with full knowledge,” it read.

“Its government watched hatred grow and chose to do nothing. They minimised it. They excused it. They dismissed Jewish warnings as noise.”

The Opposition have called on the Albanese government to urgently act to implement all recommendations in a report released in July by Australia’s special envoy for anti-Semitism Jillian Segal on combating the issue.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has established a Coalition anti-Semitism, extremism and counterterrorism taskforce, which will examine how all recommendations can be “progressed, strengthened and implemented”.

Liberal Senator Jane Hume on Wednesday accused Mr Albanese of “ignoring” the report, while Nationals leader David Littleproud declared the Coalition would be ready to return to Canberra if Parliament needed to be recalled to legislate changes.

Liberal MP Julian Leeser also called for Parliament to be recalled if legislative changes were required.

“If Parliament is to be recalled, we should do it. When you’ve got 15 dead people, including Matilda, including Rabbis, when you’ve got people who are fighting for their life in hospital, it doesn’t get any more serious than this,” Mr Leeser said.

“This is an attack on our country. We need the response that deals with the root problem, which is anti-Semitism.”

The frustration over the Albanese government’s actions were palpable when Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke visited a vigil at Bondi Beach on Monday night.

He was heckled by mourners who accused him of failing to protect Australia’s Jewish community.

Then on Wednesday fellow Labor frontbencher Richard Marles was also heckled during a live interview on Sky from Geelong in his Victorian electorate.

While the Deputy Prime Minister was about the massacre, a man can be heard accusing the Labor of failing Australians.

“You and your Government are an absolute disgrace… You, the Prime Minister, Penny Wong,” he yelled.

After the heckling, Sky host Peter Stefanovic asked Mr Marles if his Government had “failed” to act on the concerns of the Jewish community.

“We have been calling out anti-Semitic. Obviously, we commissioned the (Special Envoy Jillian) Segal report. Not for a moment would I suggest that the work is complete. This is a long term project,” he said.