Four months of grief, tension and pain: key moments from the antisemitism royal commission
News Source
•Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:00:15 GMT
📰 What Happened
More than 300 witnesses appeared before Australia’s royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, called in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack of December in which 15 people were killed. Among the most powerful evidence came from survivors of the Bondi attack and family members of those killed. Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, who presided over 10 funerals in three days including his son-in-law Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s, was the final witness and urged a national reckoning. Witnesses described safety fears before and after Bondi, fraying community bonds and tension over the role of Israel.
🔍 The Backstory
The commission was established after the Bondi attack, which became one of Australia’s most devastating acts of violence, against a backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents nationwide. Over four months of public hearings, it heard from survivors, bereaved families and community leaders about how trust between neighbours had deteriorated. Ulman recalled how his community decided, on the final night of Hanukah, to return to Bondi beach and light a menorah at the place where the attack happened—a choice, he said, about what to do next rather than what had been taken.
🎯 Why It Matters
The commission’s findings will shape how Australia confronts terrorism and social cohesion, informing national policy on community safety, legislation and rebuilding trust between communities for years to come.
More than 300 witnesses appeared before Australia’s royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, called in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack of December in which 15 people were killed. Among the most powerful evidence came from survivors of the Bondi attack and family members of those killed. Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, who presided over 10 funerals in three days including his son-in-law Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s, was the final witness and urged a national reckoning. Witnesses described safety fears before and after Bondi, fraying community bonds and tension over the role of Israel.
The commission was established after the Bondi attack, which became one of Australia’s most devastating acts of violence, against a backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents nationwide. Over four months of public hearings, it heard from survivors, bereaved families and community leaders about how trust between neighbours had deteriorated. Ulman recalled how his community decided, on the final night of Hanukah, to return to Bondi beach and light a menorah at the place where the attack happened—a choice, he said, about what to do next rather than what had been taken.
The commission’s findings will shape how Australia confronts terrorism and social cohesion, informing national policy on community safety, legislation and rebuilding trust between communities for years to come.