Sydney, February 24: In response to the tragic mass shooting during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in December 2025, Australia’s most powerful investigative body, the Royal Commission, has initiated an inquiry into issues of anti-Semitism and social cohesion.
On Tuesday, Commissioner Virginia Bell delivered an inaugural speech outlining the investigation’s objectives. She stated that the inquiry will examine the circumstances surrounding the Bondi terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals. Bell urged Jewish Australians to share their experiences with anti-Semitism.
“The Commission must investigate the security arrangements for that event and report whether our intelligence and law enforcement agencies acted effectively,” Bell emphasized.
The Royal Commission is exploring this incident within the broader context of anti-Semitism, with a particular focus on social cohesion. It will study the rising cases of anti-Semitism within the Jewish community and incidents occurring in schools and universities, with a report due by December 2026.
Bell also offered the option for online evidence submissions, assuring that individuals would not be pressured to provide testimony in public.
Senior lawyer Richard Lancaster, assisting the Commission, described the Bondi shooting as “truly a horrifying event,” noting that it has caused significant trauma among Jewish Australians.
The attackers involved in the Hanukkah festival shooting, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, were identified by police as being inspired by the Islamic State. Sajid Akram was shot dead at the scene, while the injured Naveed Akram survived.
Naveed, 24, has already appeared in court and faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of carrying out a terrorist attack.
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