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Australian swimming legend Dawn Fraser condemns Labor’s “cowardice” after the Bondi attack, urging leaders to confront antisemitism, protect Australians, and stop governing through fear of labels.

Former Australian Olympian Dawn Fraser has slammed the Labor government as cowards, telling Anthony Albanese to “get off his high horse.”

The blunt-spoken 88-year-old protested the government’s inaction against Islamism, alongside approximately 65 other Aussie athletes on Sunday.

Speaking out about the Islamist attack on Bondi, Fraser took the Labor Party to task for its misdirection and spin, stating,

“This is not a gun problem. This is not a one-off problem.”

“This is an antisemitism problem, and our leaders have been too scared to say anything, or do anything, because they are scared that someone might call them ‘racists’.”

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Addressing the Labor Party’s apparent fear of being labelled “Islamophobic”, Fraser said: “Protecting your country isn’t racist, it’s the right thing to do!”

Sometimes, hard decisions have to be made, she added.

“I have been accused many times of being a racist, but the people who know me know that is the furthest from the truth.”

“I speak out to protect my country and the people who live here who also love this beautiful land, whatever their origin is.”

Fraser then exclaimed, “But I WILL NOT stand by and let people run this country down, hate this country, and bring fear into this beautiful land.”

“I once said: ‘Go back to where you came from.’”

“Well, listen to me,” she continued, “if you don’t love this country, abide by our laws, and think it’s okay to insult our people, bring harm to this great country and its citizens, then yes, you should leave.”

“No one has the right to go to anyone’s home to bring hate and disrespect.”

“If you want to live in peace and harmony and abide by our rules, then anyone is welcome.”

“Many years ago, I competed for this country,” Fraser explained.

“Every time I stood on that dais and listened to my national anthem, and saw my country’s flag being raised up — nothing made me prouder.”

“When I see people burning our flag that I competed under, that soldiers fought under, and many that lost their lives under, you can be damn sure I’ll speak up.”

“These people don’t deserve to live in this great country, because living in Australia is a privilege.”

DAWN FRASER MAKES A BRILLIANT SPEECH

Thank you to great Australian, Dawn Fraser, for your clear and principled words.

Dawn understands Australian values, and takes down PM Albanese and Ministers Wong and Burke. pic.twitter.com/B7zcR70tC1

— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) January 4, 2026

Concluding her seven-minute speech, Fraser said,

“I will stand with anyone who loves my country, who respects my country, who wants to see my country prosper.”

A Call for Leadership, Accountability, and a Royal Commission

Calling for a Royal Commission into the Bondi Islamic terrorist attack, the former gold medal Olympic swimmer said,

“If the Jewish community is calling for a Royal Commission, then do the right thing by this community that has suffered enough.”

“To you, Anthony Albanese, Tony Burke, Penny Wong, come down off your high horse and stop trying to run for cover.”

Fraser also lamented the state of the country.

She criticised “weak leaders” for failing to protect the innocent and wield the sword proportionally.

Hinting at the problems caused by leaders turning a blind eye to the consequences of carte blanche multiculturalism, Fraser declared,

“I have heard of way too many women being killed because certain men think it’s their right to control.”

“We enable all this behaviour because we have weak leaders in all sectors of the community that won’t call the bad behaviour out.”

“I don’t care what your background is; if you harm someone or their property, there needs to be consequences,” Fraser added.

“There was a time when people would take accountability, accept their mistakes, apologise, but that has gone.”

“Well, we need to go back, so I am starting here and now.”

Support for the Aussie swimming legend’s comments included Spectator Editor-in-Chief Rowan Dean.

Dean congratulated Fraser on X, saying,

“Dawn Fraser is today an Aussie legend once again.”

“Congratulations to Dawn on an outstanding speech and for showing us all what true Australian leadership, spirit and courage once looked like and must look like again.”

Just as impressed, former Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg claimed the speech would “echo from the corridors of Canberra to the breakfast tables of Balmain.”

The full transcript of Dawn Fraser’s speech can be read here:

Bondi Beach Speech, 4 January 2026

Today I have flown to Sydney with my daughter for the sole reason to stand in unity with my fellow Australian.

Athletes to show my support for the Jewish community and to say: IM SO VERY SORRY for my country and its leaders not protecting each and every one of you and your families, wonderful people that chose to come to this country and live in safety, peace, and inclusion, but on 14 December 2025 we failed you.

In the 88 years of my life, living, loving, and representing this truly great country, I have NEVER seen so much hate and division, and this breaks my heart.

We have always been a country of inclusion, diversity, and love, but unfortunately, that has disappeared. People of all nationalities choose and still choose to come to this country to make a better home for themselves and their families.

We as a nation have accepted ALL nationalities with open arms and hearts in the past, like the Italians, the Greeks, and the Jewish people, and they came to this country to start a new life with their families and they give back, they work hard, they love this country.

They don’t demonstrate, they don’t hate, but only respect and love for this great country. All they asked for was to live in peace, with acceptance, and love in return, but recently we as a country have failed.

This is not a gun problem, this is not a one-off problem, this is an antisemitism problem and it has been building and building, and our leaders have sat on their hands too scared to say anything or do ANYTHING because.

Heaven forbid, they might be called racists, but it’s not racism when you’re doing the right thing to protect your country, and yes, sometimes the hard decisions have to be made for the better of this country.

I have been abused many times of being racist, but the people that know me know that is the furthest from the truth but NO one is going to try and take parts of my comments and turn it into something so evil.

I speak out every time to protect my country and the people who live here that also love this beautiful land, whatever their origin is, but I WILL NOT stand by and let people run this country down, hate this country, and bring fear into this beautiful land.

I once made a comment about “go back to where you came from.” Well, listen to me: if you don’t love this country, abide by our laws, and you think it’s okay to insult our people and bring harm to this great country and its citizens, then yes, you should leave because no one has the right to go to anyone’s home to bring hate and disrespect.

If you want to live in peace and harmony and abide by our rules, then anyone is welcome.

Many years ago, I competed for this country, and every time I stood on that dais and listened to my national anthem and saw my country’s flag being raised up, nothing made me more proud than to do for my country.

The country I have never stopped loving or fighting for, and when I see people with such disrespect burning our flag that I competed under, that soldiers fought under, and many that lost their lives under, you can be damn sure I’ll speak up because these people don’t deserve to live in this great country because to live in this country is a privilege for me and everyone else that calls Australia home.

We don’t want the haters, we don’t deserve the haters, and we won’t tolerate the haters.

I will stand with anyone that loves my country, that respects my country, that wants to see my country prosper.

I will also call out people that have done the wrong thing and who have not stood up for this great country.

And to you, Anthony Albanese, Tony Burke, Penny Wong, come down off your high horse and stop trying to run for cover.

If the Jewish community is calling for a Royal Commission, then do the right thing by this community that has suffered enough.

This is not about the spineless and weak; it’s about doing the right thing. People are so quick to throw hats, insult others, kill, maim; and just be evil, but this is not what this country was made of.

Over the past few years, we have watched hate fester like a disease. I have consoled my best friend because he lost his daughter in a horrible act of evil. I have watched people be killed because someone thinks
it’s alright to steal a car and kill someone.

I have watched children walk the streets with knives and weapons because we, as a society, enable this behaviour. I have heard of way too many women being killed because certain men think it’s their right to control, and we enable all this behaviour because we have weak leaders in all sectors of the community that won’t call the bad behaviour out.

I don’t care what your background is, if you harm someone or their property, there needs to be consequences.

There was a time when people would take accountability, accept their mistakes, apologise, but that has gone.

Well, we need to go back to that, so I’m starting here and now.

To the Jewish people, I am so very sorry for what you have endured.

End.

___

Image via YouTube.

Appeal for the Bondi Terrorist Attack Victims

Celebrate Israel, in partnership with the Canberra Declaration and other supporters, have organised a relief fund appeal for the victims and families of the Sydney Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

Our giving team is called Celebrate Israel Australia on the platform and is part of a much larger appeal run on the Charidy giving website. All donations are tax-deductible and will be administrated by the Jewish United Support Fund.

The relief fund will provide direct financial support, helping families begin to rebuild their lives after this tragedy. Assistance is especially needed to cover essential commitments when the family’s primary breadwinner has been killed. Find out more about this appeal on The Daily Declaration here.

Please stand alongside the Jewish community as a visible demonstration of God’s love to them at this critical time of need. So far, far, as of writing, over $17,000 has already been donated, and we prayerfully seeking to raise $100,000.

Please share this appeal button with your church networks and friends.

Give by clicking the green button below.

DONATE TO JEWISH RELIEF FUND