Australia is one of the safest and most socially cohesive places in the world. But that will offer cold comfort to victims, their families and the public at large in the wake of the Bondi Junction massacre.

Like many, my first thoughts when news broke of a serious attack in Bondi Junction’s Westfield mall was a potential link to the current Middle East tensions, especially given the area is a centre of Sydney’s Jewish community. Several synagogues, including the Orthodox Central Synagogue, are within walking distance of the shopping centre.