Two months after Australia’s worst terror attack, the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion has held its first public hearing in Sydney, marking the formal start to the inquiry into social cohesion.
The Commission, led by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell, is examining anti-Semitism in Australian society and the broader challenge of rebuilding social cohesion in the wake of the Bondi attack that killed 15 people.
In her opening statement on Feb. 24, Justice Bell acknowledged the scale of the task ahead.
“I trust everyone will appreciate why the focus of this Commission will be on tackling anti-Semitism as a starting point in strengthening our bonds of social cohesion,” she said.
Bell confirmed the inquiry would adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism for the proceedings due to its “uncontroversial” nature.
“It provides [that] anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews which may be expressed as a hatred towards Jews, and includes anti-Semitism directed toward Jewish or non Jewish individuals, their property, and towards Jewish community institutions and religious facilities,” Bell said.
The commissioner noted that some examples attached to the definition had sparked debate but clarified that “criticism of the policies that may be pursued by the government of Israel from time to time is not of itself anti-Semitic.”
The Commission is required to deliver an interim report by April and a final report by the first anniversary of the attacks which is Dec. 14, 2026.
The inquiry was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Jan. 9, after a month of pressure in the wake of the mass shooting at a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Bell also made reference to broader discrimination in Australian society.
“I’m mindful that while anti-Semitism may be the oldest religious and ethnic prejudice, other religions and ethnicities are also subject to prejudice in Australia,” she said.
“I expect that social cohesion will be advanced by measures that address discrimination against religious faiths, ethnicities and cultures generally.”
