Australia begins hearings into Bondi Beach attack and rising antisemitism

Australia began public hearings on Monday into the Bondi Beach mass shooting in December, part of a wide-ranging national inquiry with witnesses set to give evidence on their experience of escalating antisemitism in the country.



The attack, which left 15 dead at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, fuelled calls for tougher gun controls and more action to tackle hatred towards Jews, and followed a spate of antisemitic incidents in Australia.



Virginia Bell, a retired judge appointed to lead the Royal Commission inquiry, said the first block of public hearings would investigate the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in the country.



"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," Bell said.



"It's important that people understand how quickly those events can prompt ugly displays of hostility towards Jewish Australians simply because they're Jews."



The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has received more than 5,700 submissions from the public.



Witnesses on Monday will include the daughter of a Bondi attack victim, community leaders and a Holocaust survivor. Some witnesses have also been granted anonymity due to concerns they could be subjected to "hostile attention".