Antisemitism probe to hear Jewish ‘lived experiences’
An antisemitism royal commission will focus on defining terms and the lived experiences of Jewish Australians across two weeks of initial hearings in May.
The lived experiences of Jewish Australians dealing with antisemitism will be the focus of a royal commission across two weeks of initial hearings in Sydney.
The royal commission was established by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the Bondi shooting in December, which claimed the lives of 15 people, the vast majority of whom were Jewish and taking part in a religious event.
A block of initial hearings will be held by the commission in Sydney from May 4-15, it was revealed on Wednesday.
The hearings will begin by defining antisemitism and exploring its historical and contemporary contexts.
Lived experiences of antisemitism and its impacts will be heard through the words of Jewish Australians, with public submissions welcomed via the commission’s website.
The commission will also explore metrics for assessing the prevalence of anti-Semitism in institutions and society, including through incident reporting and survey data.
Former High Court judge Virginia Bell, who is leading the royal commission, thanked those who had shared their stories so far.
“It is vital for the work of the royal commission that we hear directly from Australians who have experienced antisemitism first-hand,” she said.
A live-stream of the hearings will be available to the public.
The royal commission aims to investigate the nature, prevalence, and drivers of antisemitism in institutions and society, and make recommendations on strengthening social cohesion.
The commission held an opening hearing in February, during which Judge Bell laid out her approach, including treating antisemitism as a blueprint to stamp out prejudice against other minorities.
“I’m mindful that while antisemitism may be the oldest religious and ethnic prejudice, other religions and ethnicities are also subject to prejudice in Australia,” she said at the time.
“I trust everyone will appreciate why the focus of this commission will be on tackling anti-Semitism as a starting point in strengthening our bonds of social cohesion.”
No witnesses who could be called in a possible criminal trial for surviving Bondi Massacre gunman Naveed Akram will appear before the commission to protect the legal proceedings from prejudice.
An interim report is due on April 30, while full findings are expected by December 14, the first anniversary of the attack.
By: Duncan Murray
