Royal Commission hearings to begin this week as submissions pass 5,700

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will open its first public hearings in Sydney this week, following the release of its interim report and a sharp rise in submissions detailing antisemitism across Australia.

Hearing Block 1 will be held in the Sydney CBD, with proceedings starting at 10am each day. Limited public seating will be available, and a livestream will be accessible via the Commission’s website.

The hearings will examine the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in Australia and hear directly from witnesses about their lived experiences across sectors, including education, employment, media, health, the arts, sport and online environments.

New figures released by the Commission show that, as of April 30, more than 5,700 submissions have been received, an increase of almost 2,000 in just one week.

Of those submissions, more than 4,000 were made by people identifying as Jewish and more than 1,000 by non-Jewish Australians, while the remainder chose not to disclose their identity.

More than 2,700 submissions were received from New South Wales and around 1,700 from Victoria, reflecting the concentration of Australia’s largest Jewish communities in Sydney and Melbourne.

A significant number of submissions address the full scope of the Commission’s terms of reference, with an overwhelming proportion detailing lived experiences of antisemitism across education, workplaces, media, healthcare, the arts, sport and online spaces.

These accounts align with findings in the interim report, which pointed to a sustained deterioration in safety and confidence among Jewish Australians in the lead-up to the December 14 Bondi attack, in which 15 people were killed at a Chanukah gathering.

The Commission, chaired by Virginia Bell, has indicated that documenting lived experience will be central to its inquiry, with Hearing Block 1 expected to begin translating thousands of written submissions into public testimony.

Alongside the formal process, Jewish organisations have intensified efforts to encourage community participation. A joint initiative, Share Your Story, backed by major communal bodies including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, has been running submission-writing workshops and small group sessions in private homes.

Organisers have stressed the importance of participation, stating: “The Commission can only understand what antisemitism has actually cost Jewish Australians in safety, confidence and daily life if it hears directly from those who have experienced it.”

The recent surge in submissions suggests those efforts are gaining traction.

Daily witness lists will be published ahead of each hearing day, beginning with the first list scheduled for release on May 3.

The interim report, released last week, set out initial findings and areas for further examination but did not make final recommendations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously indicated the government is prepared to adopt recommendations relating to the Commonwealth once the inquiry is complete.

Submissions remain open until June 14, 2026. The Commission is expected to deliver its final report by December, around the first anniversary of the Bondi Beach attack.

For many in the community, the hearings mark a shift from written accounts to public evidence, as the inquiry moves toward conclusions that are expected to shape Australia’s response to antisemitism.