Royal Commission into anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion to hold first public hearings following Bondi terror attack

The Royal Commission on anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion will hold its first public hearings in Sydney next month. The commission was officially opened in February, just months after the Bondi terror attack where two gunmen allegedly killed 15 people and injured dozens of others celebrating a Jewish event at the beach. The hearings will run from May 4 to 15, focusing on the definition of antisemitism and the nature of antisemitism in its historical and modern manifestations. It will also hear from people with lived experiences of antisemitism and its impact on Jewish Australians. The prevalence of antisemitism in Australian society and institutions will also be measured through incident reporting and survey data. Commissioner Virginia Bell said it was vital for the work of the Royal Commission to hear directly from Australians who have experienced antisemitism first-hand. “I would like to thank those people who have already made a submission to the Royal Commission and who have been prepared to share their story with us,” she said. A livestream of the hearings can ben viewed on the Royal Commission’s website and limited public seating will also be available at the venue. Members of the public and institutions are also invited to make a submission on all aspects of the Commission’s terms of reference through the website. Last month, Dennis Richardson resigned from his position as special adviser to the Royal Commission. He was placed in the role to advise on material being sought from intelligence and security agencies to assess the effectiveness of their readiness to respond to a terrorist attack. The work will be included in an interim report due to be handed down at the end of this month. Ms Bell will deliver her final report on December 14, the first anniversary of the antisemitic terrorist attack that occurred at Bondi last year.