Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that the country will initiate a Royal Commission into antisemitism in Australia, acquiescing to increasing demands from the Jewish community, political leaders, and public figures for the independent public inquiry in the wake of the Bondi Beach Massacre.
The commission will explore the key factors driving antisemitism in Australia, recommendations for law enforcement on antisemitism, recommendations for social cohesion, and the circumstances surrounding the December 14 Hanukkah party terrorist attack.
The commission is set to be led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, according to the ABC, and the prime minister’s office police and intelligence review led by Dennis Richardson will continue in cooperation with the commission.
"Ms Bell has the deep experience and expertise to conduct her inquiry in such a way that meaningfully examines the impact of antisemitism on the daily life of Jewish Australians – and works to promote social cohesion," said Albanese.
The prime minister requested from Bell that the commission's report be made available before the end of the year, and to ensure that the inquiry did not prejudice any criminal proceedings.
"A Royal Commission is not the beginning or the end of what Australia must do to eradicate antisemitism, protect ourselves from terrorism or strengthen our social cohesion," said the prime minister. "That is an ongoing national effort, for all of us. Because an attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on all Australians."
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcomed the prime minister’s reversal, arguing in a statement that it was “the only way that Australia’s time-honoured standards of decency and fairness can be upheld.”
'Prevent manifestations of antisemitism'
ECAJ president Daniel Aghion said that they commission should “review legal frameworks, security measures, and preventative programs - including the extent to which the Jewish Community should reasonably be required to protect itself and fund that protection, as well as the role of universities, trade unions, political parties, media, social media platforms, and funding sources in amplifying antisemitism. Special attention should be given to immigration controls, online campaigns, and the circumstances relating to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, with a view to identifying lessons and reforms.”
“The Commission should also provide actionable recommendations to counteract and prevent manifestations of antisemitism, strengthen protections, improve coordination, ensure the safety and wellbeing of Jewish Australians and strengthen the national consensus in support of democracy, freedom and the rule of law.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong briefed her Israeli counterpart on the decision to hold a commission, a source told The Jerusalem Post.
Albanese had resisted calls for a commission in the weeks following the Bondi massacre that left 15 dead and 40 wounded, instead favoring the internal Richardson review.
Already at a December 21 ceremony on the last day of Hanukkah, Jewish community leaders such as Aghion and New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip had called for a Royal Commission, and such demands only continued to mount.
Families and victims of those wounded or killed in the attack signed a statement calling for the commission, as it would examine factors leading up to the attack and the government's response to rising antisemitism.
“Our children feel unsafe at school and university,” read the statement. “Our homes, workplaces, sporting fields, and public spaces no longer feel secure. It is an intolerable situation that no Australian should have to endure.
The Rabbinical Association of Australasia sent a letter to Albanese, four days later, explaining that a commission was needed to restore trust broken by past failures to address antisemitism through independence and transparency. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference supporter their religious counterparts on January 1, arguing that while the Richardson review would be sufficient for inquiry into law enforcement, a commission was needed to explore the deeper problems in Australian society.
On Sunday, more than 60 of Australia’s most prominent sports figures issued a call for a commission in accordance with the wishes of the victims' families, and on Tuesday the Law Council of Australia contended that a royal commission was needed to restore confidence in the law. The council had also said that many of the issues at play, such as national security coordination, intelligence-sharing arrangements, communications and online regulation, hate speech legislation, and counter-terrorism laws required federal level exploration unhindered by jurisdictions.
Political support for a commission deepened as opposition parties were joined by former and even current Labor party members. In New South Wales, Premier Chris Minns sought to establish his own commission in lieu of a federal inquiry.
Albanese said that he would support the NSW government's commission, but had rejected calls for one at the federal level, arguing that a commission would be too slow, and would platform "some of the worst voices."
On Tuesday Albanese said at a press briefing that his administration was prioritising the Richardson review and recalling parliament to pass legislation against "hate speech."
Amichai Stein and Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.