Australia’s royal commission on antisemitism to conclude hearings after Bondi Beach attack

Following the conclusion of testimony, the commission, headed by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, will convene to draft the final report, expected to be ready by December.Follow us on GooglePeople gather at the floral tribute at Bondi Beach to honour the victims of a mass shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, December 16, 2025.(photo credit: REUTERS/Jeremy Piper)ByLEO FEIERBERG BETTERAUGUST 26, 2026 05:09Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will hold its final day of hearings on Wednesday, wrapping up months of testimony from Australians in the aftermath of the 2025 Bondi Beach mass shooting.Established in the wake of the ISIS-inspired attack on a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney where Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly murdered 15, the commission has heard from hundreds of Jewish community members, policy experts, and security officials.The commission has also reportedly received over 20,000 submissions.Some of the key witnesses include survivors of the massacre, Holocaust survivors and the head of Australia's national security agency.Chabad of Bondi director Rabbi Yehoram Ulman is scheduled to be among the last to testify on Wednesday. Ulman's son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger was killed in the attack.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia , August 11, 2025. (credit: AAP/Mick Tsikas via REUTERS)Royal commission was initially rejected, only formed after public pressureSome in Australia have called for the commissions duration to be extended to allow for a more thorough investigation. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told press he would call for an extension to get “the fundamental truth of what happened” out.“If we need to for a couple of weeks longer, given that most of the expense was spent setting it up, that would seem to be money well spent because both the federal and the state government are relying on these recommendations to shape some of our policy,” News.com.au reported him as having said.MP Julian Leeser, who has Jewish ancestry, submitted a motion in Parliament to extend the commission, though it was defeated.Following the attack, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initially rejected calls for a royal commission. Weeks later, after calls from Jewish organizations, individuals, and politicians, he announced the formation of the commission.From its formation, the commission was tasked with four main areas: Investigating antisemitism, making recommendations to assist security services to respond to antisemitism, examine the circumstances surrounding the Bondi attack, and make recommendations to strengthen social cohesion in the country.Wednesday's testimony will focus on social cohesion.Following the conclusion of testimony, the commission, headed by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, will convene to draft the final report, expected around the December anniversary of the attack.The commission released an interim report in April, which found that Australia's legal and regulatory frameworks hadn't stopped security agencies from preventing or responding to the attack.Among the recommendations of the interim report were calls to expand protection for Jewish communities during holiday events and services, updating the counterterrorism handbook, and a national gun buyback plan. Other recommendations weren't made public due to the security aspect of the commission.Albanese's government pledged to adopt the interim recommendations.Mathilda Heller and Reuters contributed to this report. Follow us on Google