What to expect during antisemitism inquiry's final public hearings

Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is preparing for its final public hearings, concluding a phase of evidence gathering that included testimony from hundreds of witnesses and over 20,000 submissions. The commission has heard deeply personal accounts from Holocaust survivors, relatives of victims from the Bondi Beach terror attack, and young Jewish Australians who expressed fears for their future.

Commissioner Virginia Bell SC stated that the upcoming hearings will consolidate evidence from diverse sectors, including organizations with existing programs aimed at fostering safer, more inclusive, and connected communities. This comprehensive approach seeks to understand and measure social cohesion more effectively.

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We will hear from a range of organisations who have programs and initiatives already operating across Australia and assess how these approaches support safer, more inclusive and connected communities.

During the commission's opening hearing in February, counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC emphasized that social cohesion begins with empathy and mutual acceptance of democratic freedoms within a multicultural society. The commission was established following the December 14 terror attack, which resulted in 15 deaths and numerous injuries during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi's Archer Park. The surviving gunman faces murder and terrorism charges.

While Commissioner Bell has the authority to issue urgent recommendations, she has not yet done so. She has, however, made notable comments during public proceedings, including rebuking individuals who harassed witnesses and affirming the right of pro-Palestinian groups' legal representatives to question witnesses. This decision followed accusations of 'hijacking' the commission by a prominent Jewish Australian. NSW Premier Chris Minns expressed disappointment with the questioning style of these representatives, deeming it not reflective of the inquiry's purpose.

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Social cohesion begins with empathy. A diverse multicultural society can subsist and thrive only by mutual acceptance of our respective democratic freedoms exercised according to law.