Australia begins inquiry into Bondi attack, focus on antisemitism rise
Australia has begun public hearings into the Bondi Beach attacks and rising antisemitism in the country. The royal commission will hear witness testimonies, including family members of attack victims.
Bondi Beach hearings commence
Australia began public hearings into the Bondi Beach mass shooting on Monday. The probe is part of a broad national inquiry into escalating antisemitism in the country. The first block of hearings will continue until Friday in Sydney.
Witnesses to give evidence of antisemitism
The hearings, held by The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, will hear from a number of witnesses about their lived experiences of antisemitism. Witnesses on Monday include the daughter of a Bondi attack victim, community leaders and a Holocaust survivor. Some witnesses have also been granted anonymity due to concerns they could be subjected to "hostile attention".
Inquiry to happen in three phases
Commissioner Virginia Bell, a former High Court judge, will preside over the first block of hearings, investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in the country. The second block will probe the circumstances surrounding the Bondi attack, while the third block is to explore the radicalisation that may be generated through online hate and antisemitism on social media.
Victim’s daughter gives testimony
Testimonies began with Sheina Gutnick, whose father was killed fighting the Bondi Beach attackers. She described her experience post the attack and how she had received messages saying she too should have been killed. "I felt as though antisemitism was allowed to come into the open”, said Gutnick, whose family fled Ukraine under the Soviet Union and came to Australia.
Questions on safety
Another person giving evidence recounted moving to Australia from South Africa in the 1980s and how he had treated the country as his home since then. He said that things had changed, and that he has to “think very seriously” about whether this is the country for his grandchildren.
Interim report published by the commission
The royal commission earlier published an interim report which made 14 recommendations, including prioritisation of firearm laws and extending policing arrangements for Jewish events and holidays. The surge in antisemitism can be clearly linked to events in the Middle East, according to Virginia Bell, who is leading the commission.
Fatal Bondi Beach attack: What happened?
On 14 December 2025, two gunmen opened fire at the famous Bondi Beach in Sydney during a celebration of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. The attack resulted in the death of 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, and the Australian authorities declared the shooting was motivated by antisemitism.
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