Community leaders welcome Albanese’s backflip

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reportedly held a crucial meeting on the morning he announced a Royal Commission into the Bondi terror attack with antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal, and Executive Council of Australian Jewry leaders Peter Wertheim and Daniel Aghion.

The three worked tirelessly behind closed doors to push for a federal inquiry and welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to change his position amid mounting pressure. “We are especially grateful to the eminent artists, lawyers, business leaders, sporting legends, political figures, women’s organisations and other groups who added their powerful voices to this call,” Aghion said.

Aghion said the terms of reference must allow “an honest examination of government policies and the conduct and policies of key institutions and figures in major sectors of our society in contributing or failing to adequately respond to the unprecedented levels of antisemitism in Australia over the past two years or more.

“This is the only way that Australia’s time-honoured standards of decency and fairness can be upheld,” he said.

There was some disagreement over who should lead the Royal Commission with Albanese settling on retired High Court judge Virginia Bell, while Segal and Aghion relayed calls from community members strongly backing former Federal Court chief justice James Allsop.

“There was, of course, discussion about potential appointees. At the end of the day, it is the Prime Minister’s decision. He has chosen a very professional and well respected High Court judge. We endorse the commissioner and will cooperate,” said Aghion.

“My focus now is not on the past, it is on getting the best result for the Jewish community and for Australia in procuring this Royal Commission and getting on with the work.”

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip publicly called for a Royal Commission at the Bondi vigil on December 21, 2025, recognising that only an inquiry with the full powers and independence of a Royal Commission could properly examine how the attack occurred and why antisemitism has been allowed to escalate so dramatically. “We need answers about how we arrived at this moment and substantive recommendations about how we can move forward and eradicate the hate which has found such a comfortable footing in our society,” said Ossip. “The victims of the massacre, those who had their lives irrevocably changed by that night of terror and all Australians deserve nothing less than this.”

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said the establishment of a Royal Commission was “a necessary and important step.”

Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg was one of the first to call for a Royal Commission and welcomed Albanese’s reversal.

“I think it’s a big opportunity for our country to rebuild, to reset and to repair our nation after what has been a terrible two and a half years of harassment, hate and violence directed towards the Jewish community which culminated in Australia’s deadliest terrorist attack,” Frydenberg said.

“This announcement of a Royal Commission could have happened earlier. It should have happened earlier.”

The Prime Minister’s Royal Commission will replace the NSW inquiry established by Premier Chris Minns and will absorb Dennis Richardson’s review of intelligence and security agencies. Bell will report to the government by December 14, 2026. The commission will have the powers to probe and call government ministers, a key deficiency of the narrow Richardson review.

A national day of mourning for the Bondi attack will be held on January 22.