Australia's royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion will hold a second block of public hearings focusing on the lead-up to the December Bondi massacre, examining what security agencies knew about the attackers and what actions were taken.
Background of the Attack
On the evening of Sunday, 14 December 2025, two antisemitic gunmen, allegedly inspired by Islamic State, opened fire on a Jewish Hanukah celebration at a park behind Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed and 40 others injured. One gunman, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police. His son, Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder.
Focus of the Hearings
In a statement issued on Friday, the royal commission said the second block of public hearings would interrogate the circumstances surrounding the atrocity. The hearings will examine information known about the alleged shooters and how intelligence about them was handled. They will also look into security arrangements for the Hanukah by the Sea event, how decisions were made on firearms licence applications, and how intelligence on individuals is shared between security agencies. Additionally, the hearings will focus on the broader terrorism threat level, the security environment before the attack, and government resourcing for counter-terrorism efforts.
Interim Report Findings
The commission's interim report, released last month, found that Sydney's Jewish community had warned police a terrorist attack was "likely," but NSW police appeared not to have completed a comprehensive written risk assessment. The Community Security Group (CSG), a Jewish security organisation, wrote in an email to police in November that "a terrorist attack against the NSW Jewish Community is likely and there is a high level of antisemitic vilification." The report noted that "no written risk assessment for Hanukah by the Sea 2025 has been provided by NSW Police."
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon acknowledged the finding but stated there was a "policing presence on that night." He said NSW police had worked with CSG in the lead-up and that he was committed to learning from the incident and implementing any necessary changes.
Gun Law Reforms Recommended
The interim report also recommended that federal and state governments prioritise nationally uniform gun laws and a gun buy-back scheme similar to the one implemented after the Port Arthur massacre. The report described efforts to reform gun laws as "unduly leisurely" given the vital need for community safety.
First Week of Hearings
The commission, led by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell, has just completed its first week of public hearings, which focused on defining antisemitism, its historical and contemporary manifestations, and its impact on Jewish Australians. The commission heard evidence from Jewish Australians detailing antisemitic abuse and attacks in public places, schools, universities, and workplaces. Witnesses told the commission that Jewish identity was often conflated with the actions of the state of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces.
An anonymous witness, pseudonymised as ABJ, testified on Friday that she was forced to quit volunteering at a national crisis counselling hotline due to consistent, vitriolic antisemitic calls. She said she was devastated to leave after 13 years of service. Before the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, ABJ said she had only received a handful of antisemitic calls. But after the attacks and Israel's military offensive in Gaza, she was inundated with hatred. Every shift involved at least one antisemitic call, with callers claiming Jews control the government and media and own all businesses. ABJ felt so anxious that she eventually called in and said she was not coming back.
ABJ told the commission she believed antisemitism had become endemic in parts of Australian society. However, she noted that not everyone held those views: after neighbours learned her nephew was among those murdered in the Bondi attack, they sent flowers and offered to install security cameras. She urged neighbours to speak up when they witness antisemitism.
