Jews Tell Anti-Semitism Commission They Don't Feel Safe in Australia
Witnesses said Jewish schools now rely on prison-like security as the commission examines intimidation, vandalism and alleged failures by police and intelligence agencies.
- On Monday, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion began public hearings in Sydney, where Jewish Australians testified about their profound fear and experiences with rising hostility.
- This inquiry follows the December 14 Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people, a massacre occurring amid a surge in antisemitic incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
- Sheina Gutnick, daughter of Bondi victim Reuven Morrison, recounted public abuse, while Mount Sinai College board president Stefanie Schwartz described holding terror drills, noting the school now resembles a "prison."
- Holocaust survivor Peter Halasz warned that "Jews in Australia have become targets," while other witnesses testified they are considering leaving the country if hatred does not improve.
- Last Thursday, the Royal Commission released an interim report recommending stronger gun laws, with further hearings scheduled through June to examine institutional antisemitism before the final report in December.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
Antisemitism royal commission as it happened: Jewish community fears ‘next Bondi’, social media giants failing to act on vile slurs
Former High Court judge Virginia Bell is hearing from the Jewish community about their lived experience of antisemitism on the second day of public evidence in Sydney.
Australia Begins Hearings Into Bondi Beach Attack and Rising Antisemitism
Rabbi Levi Wolff lights a menorah at Bondi Pavilion to honor the victims of a shooting during a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hollie Adams Australia began public hearings on Monday in an inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting in December, with Jewish Australians giving evidence of their experience of rising domestic antisemitism. The attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration kill…
'Everyone is scared all the time': Bondi Beach inquiry hears from Australia's Jewish community
A wide-ranging Australian inquiry examining antisemitism in the country after a massacre at a Hanukkah celebration heard Monday from that escalating hatred has left Jewish people in Australia fearful and vulnerable.
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