Hearings conclude, report delayed
The royal commission into the Bondi Beach attack has entered its final day, with Commissioner Virginia Bell announcing that the final report will be delivered on Friday, December 18, to avoid clashing with the first anniversary of the massacre on December 14.
In her closing address on Wednesday, Bell explained that she had sought an extension after members of the Jewish community expressed concern that releasing the report on the anniversary would distract from memorials. "The 14th of December is the anniversary of the massacre. It will be a solemn day, marked with memorials," Bell said, adding that she fully understood the concern and asked for a short extension to avoid that distraction.
The commission was established by royal warrant following the attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, described as an ISIS-inspired mass shooting in which Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly murdered 15 people. The inquiry began on January 9, and over the past eight months has gathered more than 20,000 written submissions and heard from 346 witnesses in public sessions.
Among the witnesses were survivors of the massacre, Holocaust survivors, and the head of Australia's national security agency. On the final day, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, whose son-in-law Rabbi Eli Schlanger was killed in the attack, was scheduled to testify, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post.
Commissioner Bell said in her closing address that she is satisfied she can give a "full and fair account" of the term of reference asking whether intelligence and law enforcement agencies performed effectively. She also noted that the attack came after "more than two years of a marked increase in anti-Semitism throughout Australia."
The report's timeline was initially set for no later than December 14, but the final day of spoken evidence was August 26, before Bell reviews evidence and makes recommendations.
Commission's mandate and interim findings
The commission was established after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initially rejected calls for a royal commission, but later announced its formation after pressure from Jewish organizations, individuals, and politicians. It was tasked with four areas: investigating antisemitism, making recommendations for security services, examining the circumstances of the Bondi attack, and recommending ways to strengthen social cohesion.
An interim report released in April, as reported by the Jerusalem Post, found that Australia's legal and regulatory frameworks had not stopped security agencies from preventing or responding to the attack. It recommended expanding protection for Jewish communities during holiday events, updating the counterterrorism handbook, and considering a national gun buyback plan. Some recommendations were not made public due to security concerns, and the Albanese government pledged to adopt the interim recommendations.
Calls to extend the commission
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns expressed support for extending the commission's duration, describing it as "money well spent" to get "the fundamental truth" out. He suggested that if a couple of weeks longer were needed, given most expenses were already incurred, it would be worthwhile. Separately, MP Julian Leeser submitted a motion in Parliament to extend the commission, but it was defeated.