By Renju Jose
SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Australia's Jewish community gathered at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Friday for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers paddled out into the water to honour
the 15 victims killed after alleged father-and-son gunmen opened fire at people celebrating Hanukkah.
Authorities have said Sunday's shooting, Australia's deadliest in almost 30 years, appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State, and police have ramped up patrols and policing in an effort to prevent further violence.
Late on Thursday, police said they had intercepted two cars and detained seven men in Sydney's southwest after receiving information that "a violent act was possibly being planned."
Australian police said the men, who were known to authorities, likely had similar links to extremist Islamic ideology as the two alleged Bondi gunmen.
"We have some indication that Bondi was one of the locations they might be visiting yesterday but with no specific intent in mind or proven at this stage," New South Wales state Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told ABC Radio.
A knife was found, but no guns, Hudson said.
Islamic State has called the Bondi mass shooting a "source of pride", in an article published on the group's telegram channel, though it did not explicitly claim responsibility.
At the beach on Friday, names of victims were read out during the prayer at the site of the attack as swimmers entered the water in a show of solidarity.
Community leaders described the support as deeply moving amid heightened fears over a surge in antisemitic incidents since the war in Gaza.
"Over the past two years, there's been a lot of people who have been questioning whether we're still welcome here in Australia because we saw people calling for our death on the streets on a weekly basis," Rabbi Yosef Eichenblatt from Sydney's Central Synagogue told ABC News, after attending the paddle-out event.
"So it's been so heart-warming to see the outpouring of love and support. It's really so therapeutic."
CRACKDOWN ON HATE SPEECH
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, under pressure from critics who say his centre-left government has not done enough to curb antisemitism, has vowed a crackdown on hate speech in the wake of an attack.
Albanese plans to introduce legislation that makes it easier to charge people promoting hate speech and violence, and cancel or refuse visas for people involved in hate speech.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has urged Albanese to recall parliament early to address antisemitism. Albanese said he was open to convene parliament before February but warned the proposed laws were complex and would take time to draft.
Funerals began this week, with 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest of the 15 victims, laid to rest on Thursday.
Yellow toy bees topped her coffin and many attendees wore yellow and bee stickers and brought bee-themed toys and balloons to honour Matilda, whose middle name was Bee.
(Reporting by Renju Jose and Hollie Adams in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
