Australian PM orders royal commission into Bondi Chanukah attack

The move marks a sharp shift from Albanese’s earlier resistance to launching a royal commission.

By World Israel News Staff

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Thursday that his government will establish a national royal commission into the antisemitic terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, reversing his earlier resistance to launching a federal inquiry.

The royal commission, the most powerful form of public investigation in Australia, will be led by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell. Albanese said the inquiry will examine the nature, prevalence, and drivers of antisemitism in Australia, as well as the circumstances surrounding the December 14 attack. It will also make recommendations on law enforcement responses, social cohesion, and countering violent extremism.

The commission’s final report is due by December 14, marking one year since the attack, which occurred during a public Hanukkah celebration.

Fifteen people were murdered when two terrorists opened fire on a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered to light the first candle of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach.

“This was an antisemitic terrorist attack aimed at Jewish Australians, inspired by Islamic State,” Albanese said. “It was the deadliest terrorist attack ever carried out on Australian soil.”

The announcement marks a sharp shift from Albanese’s earlier position. In the weeks following the attack, the prime minister resisted mounting calls from Jewish leaders and opposition lawmakers to establish a royal commission.

Instead, he announced a more limited review of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to assess whether they had adequate powers, structures, and information-sharing arrangements. He also unveiled sweeping gun law reforms, a move some Australian Jewish leaders criticized as a distraction from the failures exposed by the attack.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said at the time that “a royal commission is the only way we’re going to get the full picture” of the attack.

Jewish community leaders and opposition figures echoed that view. Alex Ryvchin, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said “the failures were enormous,” while opposition lawmakers warned that a narrower federal review would fall short of the accountability required after the antisemitic terror assault.

Thursday’s announcement appears to answer those demands, formally launching a royal commission with the authority to compel testimony, examine systemic failures, and hold institutions to account.