In the terrifying moments of chaos at Bondi Beach on December 14, when gunfire shattered a peaceful summer gathering, one man made a decision that would change lives – including his own.
Gefen Bitton, a 30-year-old garage door technician visiting Australia from Israel, ran towards danger while others fled. Unarmed and without hesitation, he joined fellow bystander Ahmed al Ahmed in confronting gunman Sajid Akram, helping to disarm him during the deadly terror attack.
Mr Bitton paid a heavy price for that bravery. He was shot multiple times and has since undergone several surgeries for severe internal injuries. He remains in hospital, where he is recovering slowly but steadily.
This week, in a gesture that has resonated across the nation, the Australian Government granted Mr Bitton permanent residency.
“Gefen is a hero,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said after visiting him at St Vincent’s Hospital.
“Without a moment’s thought for his own safety, he ran to help Ahmed al Ahmed.
“While I was there, I made him a permanent resident of Australia. Of all the things he is now dealing with, at least this gives him one less challenge to worry about.
“I told him Australia is a better place with him here, and he is welcome to continue to come here for the rest of his life.”
Friends say the decision reflects exactly who Mr Bitton is. “As Ahmed heroically jumped on the terrorist, Gefen ran in alongside to confront him,” said close friend Cayli Barr. “There, he was shot, fell to the ground, and shot again. He ran into the face of danger like only a hero does, guided by the values on which he was educated and raised.”
Mr Bitton had been celebrating Chanukah by the Sea at Bondi when the shooting began. He initially ran with friends to escape, but when one of them looked back, Gefen was gone.
Another friend soon received a chilling call from his sister in Israel. “My brother just called,” she said. “He said he’s been shot twice – and then he hung up.”
Friends frantically searched hospitals until they finally found him in surgery, suffering from severe gunshot wounds. One later recognised him in footage of the attack, the man in the red shirt running alongside Ahmed al Ahmed.
“Gefen had escaped. He was safe,” Ms Barr said. “But when he saw the terrorist, he ran back into the line of fire to help. He made a decision most of us couldn’t even think of – to put his own life at risk to save others.”
Ms Barr has since set up a GoFundMe page to support his long recovery, raising more than $724,000. She said her “beautiful friend” was shot three times and remains in intensive care, though he is now awake more often and making small improvements each day.
“On behalf of his dad and his family, we are raising money for his medical expenses and rehabilitation,” she said. “It’s a long road ahead.”
In the aftermath of violence that shocked the nation, Mr Bitton’s actions have become a powerful reminder of courage, compassion and humanity.
An unarmed civilian, living peacefully in Australia, he chose not to turn away, and in doing so, showed the very best of what it means to belong.
Now, Australia has made that belonging permanent.
Images: GoFundMe, Supplied
