Australia’s left-wing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday finally caved to public pressure and announced a wide-ranging national inquiry into antisemitism. His capitulation comes 25 days after two terrorist gunmen opened fire on a Jewish holiday event at Bondi Beach in an Islamic State-inspired atrocity that claimed the lives of 15 people.
The Royal Commission will investigate the nature, prevalence and drivers of antisemitism generally as well as the circumstances of the Bondi mass terror shooting, Albanese told reporters in Canberra, AP reports.
It will also make recommendations for law enforcement countering the spread of extremism, coming as increasing numbers of Australians despair at the Albanese government and its embrace of forces that represent antisemitism around the globe.
An Australian Royal Commission has broad, coercive powers to gather evidence and information, which are often greater than those of a judge in a standard court case.
The commission can compel individuals to appear before it to give evidence, either publicly or in private and witnesses are typically required to swear an oath or make an affirmation to tell the truth.
It will be led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, Albanese said.
A report is due by Dec. 14, which will be a year to the day since the shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at the Sydney landmark.
That tragedy followed other examples of antisemitism that have roiled the country under Albanese’s Labor government.
“This was an antisemitic terrorist attack, aimed at Jewish Australians, inspired by ISIS, the deadliest that has ever occurred on Australian soil,” said Albanese, referring to the Islamic State group and its role in inspiring the Bondi Beach atrocity.
Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had sent a letter to Albanese in August, accusing the left-wing leader of pouring fuel “on this antisemitic fire” by recognising Palestine as a state.
“It encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets. Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent; it retreats when leaders act. I call upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve,” Netanyahu said he wrote.
The surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, faces dozens of criminal charges including murder and terrorism.
The belated Albanese announcement followed weeks of demands for action from lawmakers across the political spectrum, a host of Jewish leaders and other public figures such as prominent sportspeople for a national royal commission to be convened, instead of a limited NSW statewide inquiry, where the shooting happened.
All the time Albanese was seen as aloof and disconnected to the concerns of everyday Australians.
Albanese at first weakly suggested such a wide-ranging inquiry might take too long, but rejected the suggestion on Thursday that he had been caved to mounting pressure.
He said he simply changed his mind.
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