MEDIA RELEASES
AIJAC welcomes Federal Royal Commission into antisemitism following Bondi massacre
January 8, 2026 | AIJAC
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) welcomes Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement of a Royal Commission into antisemitism, following the Bondi massacre.
AIJAC National Chairman Mark Leibler and Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said, “We thank the government and the Prime Minister for having listened to the sustained calls from the Australian Jewish community, including victims’ families and survivors, as well as a broad cross-section of security, legal and business experts, sporting leaders and concerned citizens, after initially opposing a Federal Royal Commission.
“The attack in Bondi did not occur in a vacuum. It took place against the backdrop of an unprecedented surge in antisemitism across Australia, and years of warnings from Jewish organisations and community leaders that when hatred is allowed to fester, and is excused, downplayed or normalised, it inevitably leads to violence. Bondi was the deadly manifestation of those warnings being ignored.
“Victims’ families, survivors and the broader Australian public deserve to know not only what happened at Bondi, but how it was allowed to happen, and also that lessons are being drawn that will prevent such an atrocity from ever occurring again.
“For this Royal Commission to be credible and effective, it must confront the underlying causes of the relentless surge in antisemitic incidents, violent and non-violent, which has afflicted this nation since October 7, and even before. AIJAC believes the Terms of Reference, particularly the focus on countering ideological and religious extremism, the role of law enforcement, and antisemitism within educational institutions, provide an appropriate foundation for carrying out this essential task.
“As the process moves forward, it will be imperative also that Commissioner Virginia Bell is advised by experts and counsel with experience in national security, law and education, as well as by representatives of the Jewish community.
“AIJAC is ready to engage fully and constructively with the Royal Commission to ensure our community’s views are heard, to safeguard Australia’s democratic values, and to ensure that the conditions that allowed this antisemitic hatred to produce the worst ever terrorist massacre on Australian soil, are confronted, exposed and never allowed to reappear.”
