Bondi Beach tragedy sparks broad review of antisemitism in Australia

Commonwealth and state government agencies have been formally instructed to provide documents to a federal royal commission established to investigate antisemitism and the deadly terror attack at Bondi Beach.

The national inquiry was announced on January 9, less than a month after a gunman opened fire during a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney, killing 15 people. The commission will examine both the broader issue of antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia, as well as the circumstances surrounding the attack itself, as per Australian media.

The attacker, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police at the scene. His son, Naveed Akram, has since been charged with multiple offences, including 15 counts of murder.

The massacre triggered nationwide outrage and prompted a wave of new state and federal legislation aimed at curbing hate-driven activity and strengthening community safety measures.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initially voiced concern that a federal royal commission could become excessively lengthy and risk giving antisemitic views a public platform during hearings. However, after weeks of mounting pressure, he said discussions with members of the Jewish community and families of victims convinced him that a national inquiry was necessary.

The commission is being led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, who has been tasked with delivering recommendations on how to reinforce social cohesion and counter the spread of ideologically and religiously motivated extremism.

“I trust everyone will appreciate why the focus of this commission will be on tackling antisemitism as a starting point in strengthening our bonds of social cohesion,” Bell said.

No witness testimony or evidence was presented during the opening day of hearings. Senior counsel assisting the inquiry, Richard Lancaster, delivered an opening statement acknowledging the scale of the tragedy.

“The counsel assisting team acknowledge with great sadness the immense trauma this has caused Jewish Australians and members of the community living in Bondi, those visiting for a meal or a swim that evening, those who bravely rushed to help, and many others throughout Sydney and Australia have been deeply affected by the attack,” Lancaster said.

During proceedings, a working definition of antisemitism was introduced to the commission. Lancaster noted that the letters patent establishing the inquiry describe social cohesion as a “national consensus in support of democracy, freedom and the rule of law.”

“It is a consensus that a diverse, multicultural society can subsist and thrive only by mutual acceptance of our respective democratic freedoms, exercised according to law,” he added.