"My family and I no longer want to live in Australia. We don't feel safe here. We don't feel welcome," one witness told the Royal Commission on antisemitism.
'The sharp spike in antisemitism that we've witnessed in Australia has been mirrored in other Western countries and seems clearly linked to events in the Middle East,' said the retired judge leading the Bondi Beach mass shooting inquiry
Australian Jews have faced mass anti-Israel protests, exclusion from arts and other communities, and spasms of violence since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the resulting war in Gaza.
Commissioner Virginia Bell opened the Royal Commission into the Dec. 14 Bondi massacre. The hearing established terms to investigate security failures and the drivers of Australian antisemitism.
The attack shocked the nation and led to calls for tougher action on antisemitism and gun control, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging tougher action on both.
Online antisemitic discourse, reports of verbal attacks, and property damage, in Australia spiked by up to 600% following the Bondi Beach terror attack, Israeli government data shows.
“We had seen hate spreading through our communities. We knew then, as we know now, that hatred targeted towards the Jewish people never ends there," said Nemesh, Sydney Jewish mayor.
Constable Scott Dyson awoke from his medically induced coma for the first time on Tuesday. The officer had been in a coma since the terrorist attack in Bondi Beach.
Eduardo Martinez, the mayor of Richmond, California, promoted a social media post that claimed the Bondi Beach attack on a Hanukkah celebration was a “false flag” perpetrated by Israel.
“I named her Matilda because she was our firstborn in Australia. And I thought that Matilda was the most Australian name that could ever exist,” said father Michael.
Mayor Eduardo Martinez of Richmond, California, reposted conspiracy theories that claimed the Bondi Beach attack on a Hanukkah celebration was a “false flag” perpetrated by Israel.
Investigators expect to question Naveed Akram once medication wears off and legal counsel is present, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.
The minister stopped short of blaming the Bondi Beach terror attack on the Australian government, but said 'but nothing was done. The government here contributed to a harsh anti-Israeli atmosphere.' He is scheduled to attend victims' funerals and speak to the local Jewish community