Keeping an open mind on the Royal Commission
We may have doubts, but this inquiry is a generational opportunity to address antisemitism
Notwithstanding that The AJN‘s poll this week has found readers have little confidence in the Royal Commission that held its opening hearing this week, we implore our community to keep an open mind.
The heinous terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025 that left 15 dead did not happen in a vacuum; indeed, we campaigned for a Royal Commission to look into the festering environment of hate that led to it.
Some in our community have questioned the government’s motives after Prime Minster Anthony Albanese resisted calling the inquiry for 25 days. Some have also expressed concerns the proceedings may be hijacked.
Some have expressed dissatisfaction with the choice of Commissioner Virginia Bell due to her being the Prime Minister’s pick and her apparent left-leaning politics.
However, in Tuesday morning’s opening hearing, Bell seemed to play a very straight bat.
She endorsed and defended the IHRA definition and said concerns over some of its examples “pay insufficient regard to the terms of the definition itself” and are “apt to overlook the requirement to take account of the overall context in which conduct occurs”.
She said tackling antisemitism is a “starting point” for addressing social cohesion, acknowledging that while other religions and ethnicities also face prejudice, the focus was justified given people were “targeted simply because they were Jewish”.
Most importantly, she called directly on Jewish Australians to share their own experiences of antisemitism, promising that submissions would not require public testimony.
There is, of course, a long way to go.
Submissions to the Royal Commission are open to all Australians – including those who view the problem of antisemitism very differently than we do. There are also some out there who do not wish to see it succeed.
It will be a long process, and an exhausting one. No doubt, it will involve confronting painful memories. We will hear testimony that challenges us. Our own representatives may be subject to intense questioning.
But all that said, this is our best opportunity in a generation to address rising antisemitism in Australia. Let’s give it a chance. And let’s do our part by providing our stories.