Anti-Semitism inquiry to take extra evidence in secret

A further secretive hearing will be held by the Royal Commission investigating anti-Semitism, following the commission's conclusion in August. On Monday, the commission announced plans to gather additional evidence pertaining to the anti-Semitic incident at Bondi Beach in December 2025, which resulted in 15 fatalities. This hearing, announced in a statement, will be conducted in a closed-door manner to protect national security and ongoing criminal proceedings.

The commission previously assessed the security situation preceding the attack and the actions of security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. Throughout the hearings, which commenced in May, the commission heard from nearly 350 witnesses and received approximately 20,000 written submissions, engaging with 14,000 members of the community.

Peter Werheim, co-chief of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, expressed the community's dedication to the commission. Australia is the sole nation to scrutinize its own anti-Semitic record with such dedication and rigor. Commissioner Virginia Bell declared that the final report would be published on December 18, with the initial date set for December 14 delayed due to concerns about its release coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the attack.

Ms Bell noted community dissatisfaction over the lack of outward investigation into the events leading to the attack, but stated that closed hearings had been conducted to prevent prejudicing ongoing criminal proceedings. The findings from these hearings and other confidential evidence would be encompassed in a confidential section of the final report, according to Ms Bell.