Waverley Council awards Keys to the City to heroes of Bondi Beach terror attack
Waverley Council has unanimously agreed to award Keys to the City to three people who intervened during the December 14 terror attack at Bondi Beach, while also resolving to seek posthumous national honours for those killed trying to stop the gunmen.
From disinvitation to apology: Abdel-Fattah and the Adelaide Festival fiasco
The new board of the Adelaide Festival has issued an unreserved apology and issued an invitation to Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah to Writers’ Week 2027, reversing a controversial January decision that led to the event’s collapse.
Concerns grow that antisemitism bill leaves dangerous loopholes
Representatives of the Jewish community have told a Senate committee the government’s draft antisemitism bill risks missing its mark unless key flaws are fixed. At the same time, support for the legislation is reportedly splintering ahead of a vote next week.
Government unveils hate speech and gun reform bill after Bondi terror attack
The federal government has released draft legislation aimed at strengthening hate speech laws and tightening gun controls in response to the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people and injured dozens more.
‘Hate in hearts’: illegal prayer halls hit after Bondi
Extremist preachers using unlicensed premises to radicalise followers could be on the hook for more than $100,000 as local councils are enlisted to combat hate. Read more
Parliament recalled as government moves to tighten hate laws
Federal parliament will reconvene in Canberra on 19 and 20 January to consider new laws targeting antisemitism, hate crimes and extremism in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack, with the government seeking broad bipartisan support.
Rabbinical Association welcomes Royal Commission but urges immediate action
January 12, 2026 by J-Wire Newsdesk
Filed under News
The Rabbinical Association of Australasia has welcomed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to establish a Royal Commission into antisemitism and the Bondi Beach terror attack while warning that urgent action is needed now to protect Jewish communities.
Age and SMH apologise for ‘antisemitic’ Cathy Wilcox cartoon
The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have today issued apologies after publishing a controversial cartoon by Cathy Wilcox that addressed the political fallout from the Bondi Beach massacre and prompted widespread claims of antisemitism. Read more
Segal condemns Wilcox cartoon as Jewish leaders warn of antisemitic tropes
Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, has added her voice to criticism of a recent cartoon by Cathy Wilcox.
Antisemitism envoy says Bondi royal commission can drive change
A royal commission examining the Bondi terror attack can drive meaningful change across Australian society, the nation’s special envoy to combat antisemitism says, as political pressure builds for federal ministers to be called to account.
Jewish community welcomes announcement of royal commission into antisemitism
Australia’s peak Jewish organisations have welcomed the federal government’s decision to establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism and the circumstances leading to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. They described the move as a necessary national response to unprecedented levels of hatred directed at Jewish Australians.
Waverley Council to join growing national call for Bondi terror royal commission
Waverley Council will move to formally call for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism and the events leading up to the Bondi Beach terror attack.
Law Council joins growing coalition calling for royal commission into Bondi attack
Australia’s peak legal body has backed calls for a federal royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack and the rise in antisemitism, adding fresh weight to mounting pressure on the Albanese government.
PM opens door to federal royal commission after Bondi killings
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated he is prepared to consider further steps, including a potential Commonwealth royal commission, in response to antisemitism and the Bondi terror attack.
Former ALP dignitaries join the call for a Royal Commission
January 5, 2026 by J-Wire News Service
Filed under News
A group of former federal and state parliamentary ALP dignitaries has called on the Albanese government to establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into Antisemitism and the events that led to and enabled the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on December 14. Read more
Chalmers says calls for royal commission come from a good place
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has acknowledged growing calls for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Bondi terror attack and antisemitism, saying the push comes from “a good place”.
Teal independents intensify push for Royal Commission into Bondi attack
Pressure is continuing to mount on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack, with four Teal independents warning that existing reviews will not address federal failures or rising antisemitism.
Israel offers training to counter terror inspired by IS
Israel insists it is willing to train Australian police in countering terrorism and antisemitism while accusing the federal government of lacking action on “radical Islam”. Read more
Human Rights Commissioner and former army chief join growing call for Royal Commission
Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay and former army chief Peter Leahy have joined escalating calls for a federal Royal Commission into the Bondi terror attack and the rise in antisemitism.
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.
Jewish community leadership calls for a Royal Commission
December 30, 2025 by J-Wire Newsdesk
Filed under News
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, together with the Jewish roof organisations in each State and Territory, call for a Federal Royal Commission into antisemitism. Read more
Jewish creatives prompt change to Sydney’s New Year’s Eve Bondi tribute
Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations will include a menorah on the Harbour Bridge after Jewish artistic and cultural figures urged the City of Sydney to revise its planned tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack.
Holocaust survivors shaken by mezuzahs torn down in Toronto
December 28, 2025 by Steve Linde
Filed under News
The recent removal of mezuzahs from a Toronto residential building housing Holocaust survivors has deepened fears about rising antisemitism, striking at what residents say is the most intimate place of all: their homes. Read more
France to serve as IHRA president in 2027
December 28, 2025 by Etgar Lefkovitz - JNS
Filed under News
France has been unanimously elected to take over the annual rotating presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) next year, the French foreign minister said on Tuesday. Read more
NSW considers ADF deployment and arming of CSG to protect Jewish institutions
In the wake of the attack on the Jewish community at Bondi Beach on Chanukah, NSW Premier Chris Minns has confirmed the government is actively considering further security arrangements for Jewish institutions, including discussions about deploying the Australian Defence Force.
‘Desperately sorry’: Wong apologises to Jewish community after Bondi attack
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has apologised to Australians and the Jewish community following the Bondi Beach terror attack, conceding the federal government could have done more to confront antisemitism and hate speech.
Senior Australian rabbis urge national action as antisemitism escalates
Australia’s senior Orthodox rabbis have issued a stark warning to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying antisemitism in Australia has moved beyond rhetoric and into a climate of real and present danger, exposed most brutally by the Bondi Beach attack.
‘Happy Chanukah’ car targeted on Christmas morning
December 25, 2025 by David Marlow
Filed under News
A car decorated with a ‘Happy Chanukah’ sign has been fire-bombed in Melbourne. Read more
‘Justice’: pressure ramped up for antisemitism probe
The coalition is ramping up pressure for a royal commission into anti-Semitism and its contribution to the Bondi massacre. Read more
Crowd jeers PM while Minns and Sloane receive warm reception at Bondi Beach
Anthony Albanese was met with boos and jeers from sections of the crowd as thousands gathered on the grass at the southern end of Bondi Beach on Sunday night for a memorial marking exactly one week since the massacre that killed 15 people during a Chanukah celebration.
