Jewish organisations unite with urgent call for Royal Commission into antisemitism

Australia’s peak Jewish and Zionist organisations have issued a renewed and unified call for the establishment of a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism, warning that hatred targeting Jewish Australians has become systemic, normalised and a direct threat to public safety and social cohesion.

In a joint statement released today, the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, the Zionist Federation of Australia, Zionism Victoria, the State Zionist Councils of NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, the ACT Zionist Council, the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia, Women’s International Zionist Organisation Australia, the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, the Rabbinical Council of Australia and its NSW and Victorian counterparts, the Australasian Zionist Youth Council, and the Union for Progressive Judaism said national leadership was now essential.

The organisations expressed profound sorrow at the loss of innocent life in the Bondi terror attack, describing it as a devastating tragedy for families and a shattering moment for both the Jewish community and the broader Australian public.

“This appalling act of violence has devastated families and shaken the broader Jewish and Australian communities,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and all those affected.”

They warned the attack occurred against the backdrop of an unprecedented surge in antisemitism across Australia. For more than two years since 7 October 2023, the organisations said they had repeatedly warned that escalating antisemitic incitement and activity across streets, university campuses, online spaces and public discourse would have serious and dangerous consequences.

“This attack underscores the real-world impact of a climate in which hatred, intimidation and violence have been allowed not only to spread, but to become normalised,” the statement said.

The groups acknowledged recent actions by Commonwealth and State Governments, including the adoption of recommendations from the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, increased security funding for Jewish schools, synagogues and community institutions, and new legislation criminalising prohibited symbols and strengthening hate crime laws.

However, they stressed that these measures, while important, were insufficient.

The statement drew a clear distinction between steps designed to minimise harm to the Jewish community and the deeper work required to confront the underlying causes of antisemitism in Australian society.

“In short, while commendably designed to reduce immediate risk, these steps do not tackle the underlying causes of the explosion and normalisation of antisemitic hatred,” the organisations said.

The groups also addressed the recently announced Richardson review into Australia’s national security and intelligence framework. While welcoming the review and noting the credentials of its author, they said it would have no investigative remit to identify and expose the root causes of systemic antisemitism and should not be seen as an alternative to a Commonwealth Royal Commission.

They emphasised that the two processes were not mutually exclusive.

“Antisemitism in Australia is no longer sporadic or peripheral,” the statement said. “It is systemic and entrenched and demands a national response commensurate with the threat it poses to public safety and social cohesion.”

The organisations again called directly on the Prime Minister to reconsider and exercise national leadership by establishing a Commonwealth Royal Commission into Antisemitism.

“Don’t Australians deserve to know not just what happened, but why it happened?” the statement asked.

“Without knowing the truth behind this massacre, how can any Australians feel truly safe, and how can we make sure it does not happen again?”

They cited the public plea from bereaved families of the Bondi victims, who have also called for a Royal Commission, saying that while those lost cannot be brought back, a well-led enquiry and strong action could help prevent future tragedies.

The organisations said a Royal Commission, as the highest form of public enquiry, must be empowered to examine the drivers and enablers of antisemitism in Australia, assess institutional failures across education, public administration and civil society, evaluate the effectiveness of law enforcement and judicial responses to antisemitic hate speech and incitement, and identify sources of funding and influence that sustain extremist ideologies.

They said they would welcome the opportunity to be consulted before any decision is taken on the inquiry’s terms of reference and composition.

While the statement focused on the Jewish community’s concerns, the call for a Royal Commission has also been echoed by others, including bereaved families, senior community leaders and the federal opposition, who have argued that only a national enquiry with full powers can restore confidence and address the causes of escalating antisemitic violence.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has so far rejected the need for a Commonwealth Royal Commission, pointing instead to existing measures and the recently announced Richardson enquiry into Australia’s federal intelligence and law enforcement response to the Bondi terror attack.

In closing, the organisations rejected any suggestion that Jewish Australians were seeking special treatment.

“Jewish Australians are not seeking special treatment. We are seeking the fundamental right to live without fear,” the statement said.

“The time for incremental measures alone has passed. This moment requires clarity, resolve and decisive action. A Commonwealth Royal Commission into Antisemitism, together with other immediate Federal and State measures, is now essential to safeguard Australia’s democratic values and social cohesion.”