A message of unity as cultural and political leaders mark National Day of Mourning
Cultural and political leaders have come together at the City of Stirling to mourn the loss of the 15 innocent victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack and to back the Jewish community’s call for unity.
The City – home to half of Western Australia’s Jewish population – hosted a service on Thursday morning to mark Australia's National Day of Mourning.
Joining Mayor Mark Irwin and Councillors at the service were Perth Hebrew Congregation Chief Rabbi Daniel Lieberman, Federal Member for Perth Patrick Gorman, WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas and local Jewish and cultural leaders.
Mayor Irwin welcomed the crowd and paid his respects to the 15 people who lost their lives on 14 December 2025 in the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil.
“The eldest of them was 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, who died protecting his wife, Larisa,” Mayor Irwin said.
“The youngest was 10-year-old Matilda, whose parents named her Matilda because she was their first child born in this country and they felt it was a quintessentially Australian name.
“What happened to Matilda could not be further away from our vision of Australia.”
He also acknowledged the courageous actions of ordinary Australians, including the surf life savers who risked their lives to provide first aid, the police officers who took down the gunmen with their pistols and Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Muslim man who tackled and disarmed one of the terrorists.
“The fact that Ahmed happened to be a Muslim man only underscored the twisted evil of these attackers, who committed an act which has been unequivocally condemned by our nation’s religious leaders,” Mayor Irwin said.
Mayor Irwin’s address reflected on the theme of the National Day of Mourning – “Light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance” – which was chosen by the Chabad community of Bondi.
“I think it speaks volumes about the character of the Jewish community that at a time of mourning like this, they call for unity,” Mayor Irwin said.
“We live in a very diverse community in the City of Stirling, where we want residents of all races and religions to feel a sense of safety and belonging.
“At our Australia Day citizenship ceremony on Monday, we will welcome another 142 new Australian citizens from 36 different countries.
“That message of hope, unity and light over darkness resonates strongly with us all.”
Rabbi Lieberman then led attendees in a memorial prayer, before flags were lowered to half-mast and wreaths were laid in memory of the victims.
The National Day of Mourning was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week.
Australians are asked to observe a minute’s silence at 4.01pm WST this afternoon in honour of the victims of the attack.
Tonight, landmarks across Australia will be lit up in white, including the Scarborough Clocktower, Mount Lawley Town Centre lights and the statue of Lina outside the City’s Administration Centre.
