Fifteen people were killed when Sajid Akra, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, fired at scores of people on Sunday night as they celebrated the Jewish festival of lights.
Anthony Albanese acknowledged it would be difficult to draft laws against the threat posed by extremist terrorists, such as the Islamic State-inspired Bondi shooters who he described as "evil".
"It is indeed ... hard to legislate against such massive hatred and people who have this perversion of Islam that leads them to support Islamic State," he said in Sydney on Wednesday.
"They are evil. We need to make sure that we do whatever is within our powers."
He said any action on gun reforms could not substitute action on anti-Semitism, after coalition politicians, including former prime minister John Howard and Jewish groups argued firearms laws could be used as a distraction.
Mr Howard, who overhauled gun laws after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, said on Tuesday attempts to tighten gun ownership further were an "attempted diversion".
The prime minister said NSW could not act alone in implementing reforms and "the system is only as strong as its weakest link".
"Common sense tells you that we need a national approach," Mr Albanese told ABC News Radio on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong conceded a stronger response on tackling anti-Semitism was needed.
"We all understand we need to do more. We will dedicate every resource required to making sure Jewish Australians are safe and protected," she told ABC Radio.
"If we are to confront anti-Semitism fully, then government needs to act, so does all of the community."
Treasurer Jim Chalmers hit back at Mr Howard and said the government is capable of combating "evil acts of anti-Semitism at the same time as we tighten our gun laws".
Federal politicians should be called back to Canberra immediately to move legislation around increased screening of people coming into Australia, Nationals leader David Littleproud said.
"I challenge the prime minister, this is his moment to lead the country, bring us all back to Canberra and say to this country - This is not all in vain," he told ABC.
Special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal handed a report on addressing the issue in the community to the government in July, but many of its recommendations are still unaddressed.
Asked whether he would fully endorse the report, Mr Albanese wouldn't say which parts would now be implemented but said it will "continually be worked on".
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government has already adopted parts of the report, including working with universities to make sure campuses are safe for Jewish students.
"We have criminalised forms of hate speech, but there's more that needs to be done. We'll do it," he told ABC.
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