Australia's Royal Commission into antisemitism, established in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting in which 15 people were killed and 40 wounded, has opened its public hearings.
The federal commission will examine the prevalence of antisemitism and its root causes, and will submit recommendations to the government. The inquiry, led by former Supreme Court Justice Virginia Bell, began Tuesday and will also examine the events that led up to the attack – the worst mass shooting in Australia in decades.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had opposed calls for a federal inquiry, arguing it would harm social cohesion, but later yielded to public pressure. The commissioner is expected to submit an interim report by the end of April and a full report no later than the first anniversary of the attack, which took place on December 14 of last year.
"I acknowledge that for some, it will never feel right to talk about closure, but a small part of grappling with the events of that evening will be the work of this commission," Bell said in her opening address on Tuesday. "I regard delivering my report by or before the first anniversary as a matter of critical importance," she added.
Bell said she was "eager to hear from Jewish Australians who have experienced antisemitism, whether at school, university, the workplace, or elsewhere." Anyone can submit testimony online, and no one will be pressured to give evidence publicly, she said.
Richard Lancaster, a senior counsel assisting the commission, described the Bondi shooting as "a truly horrific event" and acknowledged the "enormous trauma" the attack had caused Australian Jews. Lancaster proposed leading evidence across four broad areas: identifying antisemitic behavior, identifying the causes of antisemitism, examining how law enforcement agencies handle antisemitism, and investigating the circumstances of the Bondi shooting – particularly what security agencies and intelligence services knew about the alleged perpetrators.
Of the perpetrators who carried out the attack, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene. His son, Naveed Akram, was seriously wounded and later transferred from the hospital to prison. The 24-year-old appeared in court last week for the first time, facing 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of carrying out a terrorist attack.
In light of the ongoing criminal case, the royal commission has been directed to avoid matters that could prejudice current and future legal proceedings. This may mean that some hearings will be held behind closed doors.
Immediately after the shooting, Albanese announced a review by a former intelligence chief to examine what federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies had done ahead of the attack and what improvements could be made. He said that review – alongside a royal commission to be convened by the state of New South Wales – would be the best way to respond to the attacks, and that a federal inquiry would provide a platform for antisemitic hate speech.
