Antisemitism royal commission ends hearings but delays report to avoid ‘distraction’ from Bondi anniversary

The Australian Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has concluded its public hearings. Commissioner Virginia Bell announced that she will delay handing down her final report by four days to avoid distracting from commemorations of the Bondi terror attack.

The commission was established after the 2025 Bondi Beach mass shooting, in which 15 people were allegedly murdered by Sajid and Naveed Akram. According to The Jerusalem Post, over 20,000 submissions were received and hundreds of witnesses testified, including survivors of the massacre, Holocaust survivors, and the head of Australia's national security agency.

There were calls to extend the commission's duration, with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns suggesting an extension could be necessary to "get the fundamental truth of what happened." However, Commissioner Bell resisted the push, citing the need for timely recommendations.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia, Jerusalem Post — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.