Australian rabbis demand march ban, royal commission
'The rabbis also called for a federal royal commission into antisemitism in Australia, saying the Bondi Beach massacre "did not emerge in a vacuum'
Australian rabbis have demanded the banning of ostensibly pro-Palestinian marches and the criminalisation of slogans including “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea” in a letter to prime minister Anthony Albanese.
The rabbis also called for a federal royal commission into antisemitism in Australia, saying the Bondi Beach massacre “did not emerge in a vacuum” but was “the most tragic and violent manifestation of a climate in which visceral hatred towards Jews has been allowed to grow louder, more normalised, and more tolerated”.
In the letter dated December 25, Rabbinical Association of Australasia president Rabbi Nochum Schapiro and the association’s executive said hate-fuelled marches and demonstrations in major cities had objectives including the establishment of a single Palestinian state coupled with the elimination of Israel, and the “globalisation of the intifada,” which they described as “a euphemism for violence against, and ultimately the extermination of, world Jewry”.
“These marches and demonstrations have been permitted to proceed largely unhindered, while Jews have been directed by police to stay away ‘for your own protection,'” the rabbis wrote.
“We are demanding nothing less than the banning of such marches and demonstrations, and the criminalisation of the phrases ‘death to the IDF,’ ‘globalise the intifada,’ and ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.'”
The rabbis said they had sat with grieving families, visited the injured and stood with children who no longer feel safe walking to school.
“We have watched members of our communities withdraw from public spaces, universities, and civic life out of fear,” they wrote.
The rabbis said a federal royal commission would allow Australia to examine how antisemitic hatred is being normalised, the role of institutions including universities and social media platforms, gaps in counter-extremism frameworks, the impact of sustained hatred on a minority community’s ability to live openly and safely, and the practical steps required to neutralise radicalisation and violence.
“This is not about blame. It is about prevention and healing,” the rabbis wrote.
“We acknowledge the Government’s announcement of internal reviews and departmental processes. These may have value. However, from the perspective of our communities, they do not provide the independence, transparency, or public confidence that this moment requires.”
It comes as a poll by Resolve for The Sydney Morning Herald found nearly half of Australians support a royal commission into antisemitism following the Bondi attack.
The poll of 1010 Australians conducted between last Wednesday and Saturday found 48 per cent supported a royal commission, while 34 per cent were unsure or neutral and 17 per cent opposed one.
The poll also found a narrow majority (53 per cent) would support banning pro-Palestine marches, while 16 per cent opposed that measure and 31 per cent were unsure or neutral.
Tougher immigration screening to identify antisemitic or extremist views was the most popular measure, with 76 per cent in support and seven per cent against. This was followed by banning extremist organisations (72 per cent support), tougher hate speech laws (70 per cent support) and heavier penalties for those who incite violence against Jewish people (67 per cent support).
Former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the poll showed Australians wanted action.
“Nearly three times as many Australians support than oppose a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism following the Bondi massacre,” Frydenberg wrote on social media.
“A clear majority of Australians want a ban on pro-Palestine marches; a ban on extremist Islamist organisations; tougher hate speech laws; heavier penalties for those who incite violence against Jewish people; and tougher immigration screening to identify antisemitic and extremist views.”
Frydenberg said the country had just experienced the deadliest terrorist attack in its history.
“This is a national issue that demands a national response. It’s not about politics it’s about leadership. Leadership that Australia has been lacking and is desperate for right now,” he said.
Albanese has resisted calls for a federal royal commission, instead announcing a departmental review led by Dennis Richardson into intelligence agencies.
“We want urgency and unity, not division and delay,” Albanese said on Monday, defending his decision.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley has accused Albanese of lacking the leadership required for the gravity of the moment.
“Australians are entitled to ask a direct question. Is the Prime Minister unwilling to do the work, or is he afraid of what a full and independent inquiry would uncover?” Ley said.
Two Labor MPs, Ed Husic and Mike Freelander, have broken ranks with Albanese and publicly called for a Commonwealth royal commission.
Over 100 prominent legal figures including former Federal Court chief justice James Allsop, former solicitor-general David Bennett and NSW lieutenant-governor signed an open letter calling for a federal royal commission.
At a vigil for Bondi victims on Sunday night, both NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip and Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion called for a royal commission.
The Albanese government has announced a legislative package including an aggravated hate speech offence for preachers and leaders who promote violence, increased penalties for hate speech offences, making hate an aggravating factor in sentencing, and a new vilification offence.
The Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14 killed 15 people during a Chanukah celebration.
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