Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Bondi hero Ahmed Al-Ahmed at his hospital bedside. Photo: Supplied by PMO.
The hero of Bondi’s mass shooting, 43-year-old Ahmed Al-Ahmed, who tackled one of the gunmen and singlehandedly took away his gun, has had some high-level thanks and visitors to his hospital room.
Mr Al-Ahmed suffered serious injury himself during the episode when shot twice by the second gunman, and remains in a critical but stable condition at St George Hospital in Sydney.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has praised him as a hero and credited Mr Al-Ahmed with saving many lives with his bravery.
While the Premier was one of the first to visit Mr Al-Ahmed in hospital on Monday (15 November), the quiet, unassuming hero has since had a drop in from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as Governor-General Sam Mostyn who passed on a message from the King.
Mr Albanese thanked Mr Al-Ahmed for his heroism and said it was a “great honour” to meet him.
“He is a true Australian hero. He’s very humble. He went through his thought processes as he saw the atrocities unfold,” the Prime Minister told journalists after the visit.
“He had gone to Bondi with friends and relatives. He was trying to get a cup of coffee, simple as that, and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him.
“He decided to take action, and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians. He is a very humble man.
“Tomorrow he will undergo further surgery. His mother and father are here visiting him from Syria, and I was able to meet them as well. They’re very proud parents.
“He, at a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he shines out as an example of the strength of humanity.
“We are a brave country. Ahmed Al-Ahmed represents the best of our country.
“We will not allow this country to be divided. That is what the terrorists seek. We will unite, we will embrace each other and we’ll get through this.”
The Governor-General said she expected to be awarding Mr Al-Ahmed a bravery award for his actions on Sunday.
Ms Mostyn passed on the thanks of King Charles, who described Mr Al-Ahmed’s actions as “absolute heroics”.
“Ahmed was the very best in that moment and has shown us what courage and bravery looks like, and has acted completely selflessly,” the Governor-General said.
“It would be staggering that he wouldn’t be receiving some form of bravery award…
“I think he’s been nominated many, many times already and in the context of what we saw, of course he is a brave man who has done something truly heroic.”
Mr Al-Ahmed, a Muslim, is a tobacconist shopkeeper and father of two young girls.
His family filmed a short video at his bedside in which he gives his thanks to the millions of Australian well-wishers.
Meanwhile, Mr Albanese’s promise to tighten gun laws in the wake of the massacre has received some criticism from one of his predecessors, who took similar action.
Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard, who massively overhauled gun laws following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, said the latest move should not distract from the fact that the current Labor government has not done enough to tackle antisemitism.
Mr Howard supported any move to further tighten gun laws, and he stressed that the only ones to blame for the Bondi shootings were the murderers themselves, but he added that Mr Albanese had been found lacking.
“I do not want this debate post this horrible event to be … used as a pretext to avoid the broader debate about the spread of hatred of Jewish people and antisemitism,” Mr Howard said.
“If the Prime Minister, immediately after the attack of the 7th of October 2023, had called an all-points cymbals and drums national press conference, convened a meeting of the national cabinet – he could have done that – and had that on the day after the attack, you would not have had that obscene demonstration at the Opera House.
“From the beginning, people of the Jewish community would have felt there is somebody on their side. He didn’t do that.”
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has also criticised the government over antisemitism and has not yet endorsed the Prime Minister to change gun laws.
But Mr Albanese said he wanted Australians to work together.
“This is not a time for politics, it is a time for national unity. I think we have organised for the Leader of the Opposition to receive a briefing from the security agencies yesterday,” the Prime Minister said.
“I think her statement on Sunday night was entirely appropriate and we stand ready to work across the parliament.”
