Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Thursday morning that his government will establish a royal commission following the Hanukkah massacre in Sydney, in which two Muslim attackers killed 15 people during a Chabad candle-lighting event.
Albanese, who initially opposed forming a royal commission, arguing it would delay the investigation into the deadly attack by several years, said at a news conference that the commission is “the right format, the right duration and the right terms of reference to deliver the right outcome for our national unity and our national security.”
A royal commission is Australia’s equivalent of what is known in Israel as a state commission of inquiry and has the authority to compel witnesses to testify. The panel will examine not only the massacre itself but also antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. The prime minister said that it will require people to provide evidence. The commission will review the events of Dec. 14, as well as antisemitism and social cohesion nationwide, and is expected to submit its findings in April.
Albanese, who has faced sharp criticism from Australia’s Jewish community, said he asked former High Court Justice Virginia Bell to lead the inquiry, adding that Dennis Richardson, who is overseeing a review of Australia’s intelligence agencies, will provide information to the commission. The prime minister said he reversed course after taking time to reconsider the issue, meeting with Jewish community leaders and, most importantly, with families of the victims and survivors of what he described as a shocking attack.
Members of Australia’s Jewish community have voiced opposition to Bell’s appointment, saying that while she is a highly qualified legal expert, she is identified with the country’s political left. Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg criticized the decision, saying it was “unthinkable” for the prime minister to appoint a commissioner who does not have the full confidence of the Jewish community.
Boos directed at Prime Minister Albanese at the massacre memorial ceremony
(Video: via X)
Last month, the Australian government announced it would conduct an independent review of the country’s law enforcement agencies to examine whether additional steps could have been taken to prevent the attack. Albanese said Thursday that the review, which was to assess whether existing laws and intelligence gaps prevented police and security forces from acting against the alleged attackers, would now be upgraded to a royal commission.
As noted, Albanese and his Labor government initially opposed establishing a royal commission. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said after the massacre that a commission with judicial investigative powers would cause significant delays in the authorities’ response and insisted that all resources should instead be directed toward safeguarding community safety. Treasurer Jim Chalmers also opposed such a move, arguing it would deter law enforcement agencies.
Australian media reported that Albanese’s decision followed pressure from the Jewish community, as well as from public figures and legal experts, to conduct a thorough examination of antisemitism, social cohesion, law enforcement and radical Islam in the country. Earlier this week, more than 60 Australian athletes and sports figures, including Olympic competitors, called on Albanese to establish a state inquiry, writing that the situation constituted “a national crisis requiring a national response.”
Australia’s Jewish community has sharply criticized Albanese both before and after the attack over his handling of rising antisemitism. After the massacre, the prime minister insisted his government had taken the threat seriously but acknowledged that more could have been done. “I, of course, acknowledge that more could have been done, and I accept my responsibility for my part in that as prime minister of Australia,” he said, adding that he also accepts responsibility for leading and uniting the nation.
Footage shows the neutralization of one of the attackers at Bondi Beach, minute by minute
(Video: under Section 27A of the Copyright Law)
The deadly attack took place last month during a “Chanukah by the Sea” event organized by the Chabad community near Sydney’s Bondi Beach, attended by about 1,000 people. Two attackers, Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Navid, opened fire from a nearby bridge. The father was killed at the scene, and the son was seriously wounded and arrested. ISIS flags and improvised explosive devices were found in their vehicle.
Fifteen people were killed, including Chabad emissaries, elderly participants and a 10-year-old girl. Dozens of others were wounded. Australian authorities described the attack as the deadliest act of terrorism in the country in nearly 30 years.