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Australia Opens Royal Commission Hearings on Bondi Massacre and Rising Antisemitism

Witness testimony will guide reforms proposed in the interim report.

Overview

  • Public hearings, which opened Monday in Sydney, focus first on defining antisemitism and documenting its prevalence and impact on Jewish Australians.
  • Sheina Gutnick, whose father was killed at Bondi, described abuse in daily life and online threats as other witnesses, including a Holocaust survivor, recounted fear and used pseudonyms for safety.
  • The commission’s interim report released Thursday set out 14 steps, including nationally consistent gun laws with a buyback, tighter security at Jewish events, and stronger counter‑terror coordination, with five recommendations kept confidential.
  • The report said the massacre could not have been prevented and the federal government accepted measures within its remit, while some states pushed back on sharing the cost of a proposed weapons buyback.
  • The inquiry has received more than 7,400 public submissions and will next examine intelligence and policing before a final report due on December 14, 2026.