Australia begins Royal Commission inquiry into antisemitism after Bondi shooting

By Reuters 24 February 2026, 8:41 am

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Floral tributes are laid for victims on a small bridge where gunmen had stood during a mass terror shooting targeting a Hanukkah event nearly a week earlier, at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Australia opens a government-backed inquiry into antisemitism, after a mass shooting at a Jewish event at Bondi Beach killed 15 people in December 2025.

The attack at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration shocked a country with strict gun laws and fueled calls for tougher controls and stronger action against antisemitism.

The Royal Commission, the most powerful type of government inquiry in Australia, which can compel people to give evidence, will be led by retired judge Virginia Bell.

It will consider the events of the shooting as well as antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia, and is expected to report its findings by December this year.

In her opening statement at a court in Sydney today, Bell said security arrangements for the Bondi event would form a major part of the commission.

“The commission needs to investigate the security arrangements for that event, and to report on whether our intelligence and law enforcement agencies performed to maximum effectiveness,” Bell said.

Police say the alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, were inspired by Islamic State.

Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed Akram, who was also shot but survived, is currently facing charges including 15 counts of murder and a terror offence.