Australia concludes official hearing on antisemitism

Australia’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism held its final day of hearings on Wednesday and is scheduled to deliver its report in December, shortly after the first anniversary of the Bondi Beach attack.

The official state inquiry was launched to examine the circumstances surrounding the single deadliest terror attack in modern Australian history, in which 15 people were killed during a Chanukkah celebration.

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More than 340 witnesses gave evidence and 20,000 submissions were received during the 62 days of hearings.

An interim report into the mass shooting recommended increased security around Jewish public events and additional gun reforms.

“History has taught us the cost of allowing antisemitism to go unanswered,” said Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia. “The evidence before this Commission is a warning Australia cannot afford to ignore. Our hope is that this record leads to clear recommendations and practical action to keep Jewish Australians safe and strengthen Australia as a whole,” the statement continued.

“The Commission … raised whether Australian institutions still meet the standards of safety and equal protections that all Australians expect,” said Joel Burnie, executive manager of Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council. “Whether in the workplace, at universities, in hospitals or at aged care facilities, Jewish Australians deserve to be safe and free from vilification.”

Australian Jewish organizations have long condemned the government for allowing a climate of incitement to violence following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre to run unchecked, leading to a series of hate-based assaults across the country which culminated in the Bondi attack.

About 110,000 Jews live in Australia, primarily in Melbourne and Sydney.

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