SYDNEY, May 4 - Public hearings started on Monday in Sydney as Australia’s Royal Commission investigates the December mass shooting at Bondi Beach and a broader rise in antisemitism across the country. The attack, which killed 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, prompted renewed calls for stricter gun controls and for more robust action to counter hostility directed at Jewish Australians.
Virginia Bell, the retired judge appointed to lead the inquiry, said the initial set of public hearings will concentrate on mapping the nature and prevalence of antisemitism within Australia. The hearings form part of a national effort to collect testimony and evidence about recent incidents and community sentiment.
"The sharp spike in antisemitism that we’ve witnessed in Australia has been mirrored in other Western countries and seems clearly linked to events in the Middle East," Bell said. "It’s important that people understand how quickly those events can prompt ugly displays of hostility towards Jewish Australians simply because they’re Jews."
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has received more than 5,700 submissions from members of the public. Monday’s roster of witnesses included the daughter of a victim of the Bondi attack, various community leaders and a Holocaust survivor. Some participants have been allowed to give evidence anonymously because of concerns they could face "hostile attention."
"It’s fitting that we begin by taking evidence from ordinary members of the Jewish community about their lived experience of antisemitism," Bell said. "We’ve received numbers of submissions from Jews describing antisemitic incidents or courses of conduct."
Last Thursday the commission published an interim report containing 14 initial recommendations. Among these were calls for increased security measures around Jewish public events and for further counter-terrorism and gun reforms.
A second tranche of hearings scheduled for later in the month will examine the specific circumstances that preceded the Bondi Beach attack and will address matters raised in the interim report. The commission is required to deliver its final report on December 14, which falls exactly one year after the Bondi Beach shooting.
The hearings aim to document first-hand accounts of antisemitism and to develop policy responses that reflect those experiences. With thousands of submissions already received and multiple days of testimony planned, the commission’s work will inform the recommendations it forwards ahead of the December deadline.
Witnesses and testimony
- Monday’s witnesses included a relative of a Bondi attack victim, community leaders and a Holocaust survivor.
- Some witnesses have been granted anonymity due to fears of facing hostile attention.
Interim findings
- The interim report proposed 14 initial recommendations, including enhanced security at Jewish public events and further counter-terrorism and gun law reforms.