Australia’s royal commission on antisemitism to conclude hearings after Bondi Beach attack

Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is set to conclude its final day of hearings this Wednesday, marking the end of months of testimony gathered in the wake of the 2025 Bondi Beach mass shooting.

The commission was established following the attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, where 15 people were allegedly murdered by Sajid and Naveed Akram. Since its inception, it has heard from hundreds of Jewish community members, policy experts, and security officials, and has reportedly received over 20,000 submissions.

Key witnesses have included survivors of the massacre, Holocaust survivors, and the head of Australia's national security agency. Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, director of Chabad of Bondi, whose son-in-law was killed in the attack, is scheduled to be among the last to testify.

Initially, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected calls for a royal commission. However, following public pressure from Jewish organizations, individuals, and politicians, he announced its formation. The commission's mandate includes investigating antisemitism, recommending security responses, examining the Bondi attack's circumstances, and proposing measures to strengthen social cohesion.

Some officials, like New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, have advocated for an extension of the commission's duration, arguing that more time would allow for a more thorough investigation and ensure that recommendations effectively shape future policy. A motion to extend the commission, submitted by MP Julian Leeser, was defeated in Parliament.

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If we need to for a couple of weeks longer, given that most of the expense was spent setting it up, that would seem to be money well spent because both the federal and the state government are relying on these recommendations to shape some of our policy.