Australia's royal commission into antisemitism has commenced public hearings in response to the deadly Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack, which killed 15 people and injured 40, reported the BBC.
The federal inquiry, the country’s most powerful form of public investigation, is tasked with investigating the prevalence and causes of antisemitism, as well as making recommendations to the government.
The commission, led by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell, began its proceedings on Tuesday. It will also review the events surrounding the Bondi Beach attack.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initially resisted calls for a federal inquiry, arguing it could harm social cohesion. However, under public pressure, he later agreed to move forward with the inquiry.
Bell is expected to deliver an interim report by the end of April and a full report by the anniversary of the attack, which occurred on December 14. On Tuesday, she outlined the inquiry’s scope before a brief opening statement by the counsel assisting the inquiry.
The inquiry will hear from security agencies, intelligence services, as well as the families of victims and survivors of the shooting. One of the attackers, Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police at the scene, while his son Naveed Akram, 24, was critically injured. Naveed has since been transferred from hospital to prison and appeared in court last week on 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one charge of committing a terrorist attack.
Given the ongoing criminal case, the commission has been instructed to avoid topics that could prejudice court proceedings, meaning some hearings may be held behind closed doors.
The Hanukkah attack has raised serious questions about the actions of police and intelligence agencies. Naveed Akram had been flagged by Australia’s intelligence services in 2019 but was removed from the radar after it was concluded that he did not pose an imminent threat.
Police documents released after the attack revealed that Akram and his father had conducted "firearms training" in New South Wales and meticulously planned the attack for months. The two also recorded a video in October, sitting in front of an Islamic State flag, in which they railed against "Zionists" and discussed their motivations for the attack.
Even before the Hanukkah massacre in Sydney, Australia had seen a sharp wave of antisemitism, including the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.
Days after the arson at Adass Israel, a car was set on fire, and two properties were vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra, which has a substantial Jewish population.
In another incident, the words "F- the Jews" were spray-painted on a car in Sydney.
In early 2025, the Southern Sydney Synagogue in Allawah, a suburb of the city, was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.
A day later, the Newtown synagogue, located in Sydney’s inner west, was vandalized with red swastikas that were spray-painted across the building’s front wall.