Australia will launch a royal commission to investigate the terrorist shooting attack at a Dec. 14 Chanukah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 dead, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.
Officials and critics had demanded a high-powered federal inquiry into the antisemitic attack.
“I’ve repeatedly said that our government’s priority is to promote unity and social cohesion. And this is what Australia needs to heal,” Albanese told reporters in announcing the inquiry.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcomed Albanese’s announcement, with the organization’s president, Daniel Aghion KC, saying that Canberra “made the right decision” and that “this is the only way that Australia’s time-honored standards of decency and fairness can be upheld.”
The ECAJ “will cooperate fully” with Virginia Bell, the judge appointed to lead the royal commission, “and will make every effort to ensure that the full force of the community’s views and experiences of antisemitism in various sectors of society are brought to the forefront of the inquiry.”
Aghion added that the commission, among other advisable actions, should “examine key drivers contributing to antisemitism in Australia, including ideological, political and religious extremism; and assess the adequacy of government, law enforcement and institutional responses.”
The Australian Jewish Association also welcomed the commission’s establishment, with its CEO, Robert Gregory, saying that it “must examine the sharp rise in antisemitism since Oct. 7, the spread of Islamic extremism in Australia, the role of immigration and the numerous warnings issued by the AJA and others regarding the risk of an antisemitic attack.”
Pledging to work with the commission and calling it a first step, Gregory wrote that “it is now critical that the Royal Commission operates in a manner that meets the expectations of the community and delivers meaningful accountability and reform.”
Albanese had earlier resisted demands to establish a royal commission, arguing the process would take years. That stance drew criticism from Jewish organizations and relatives of victims, who urged him to reconsider.
“I’ve taken time to reflect, to meet with Jewish community leaders, and, most importantly, to speak with families of victims and survivors of that horrific attack,” Albanese said.
The government announced last month an independent review of law enforcement agencies to determine whether authorities could have done more to prevent the attack. Albanese said that the review, which was set to assess whether legal or intelligence gaps hindered police and security agencies from taking action, will now be incorporated into the royal commission. The inquiry is expected to deliver its findings in April.
Australian authorities say a father-and-son pair, inspired by Islamic State ideology, opened fire on crowds gathered for a celebration of the Jewish holiday, killing and wounding dozens in a premeditated, antisemitic terrorist attack.
