Relatives of those killed and injured in the devastating December 14 attack at a Chanukah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach have united in a powerful call for a federal investigation. Seventeen families have formally requested that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese establish a national inquiry to examine the rise of antisemitism and the official response to the terrorist act.
An Urgent Plea for Answers
In an open letter addressed directly to Prime Minister Albanese, the grieving families demanded the immediate creation of a Commonwealth Royal Commission. Their request has two central aims: to investigate the rapid escalation of antisemitic sentiment in Australia, and to scrutinize the law enforcement, intelligence, and policy failures that preceded the Bondi Beach tragedy. The letter poignantly asks critical questions that remain unanswered for the community.
"We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward," the collective of families wrote.
The Attack and Its Aftermath
The December 14 massacre, which authorities have labeled an antisemitic terrorist attack, resulted in 15 fatalities and 40 individuals wounded. The suspected assailants were a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram. Sajid Akram, a Pakistani citizen residing in Australia, was killed during exchanges of gunfire with police. His son, Naveed, was wounded at the scene, subsequently charged with the murders, and has not yet entered a plea.
This horrific event has intensified longstanding concerns within the Australian Jewish community regarding the government's handling of public displays of antisemitism. Many point to the period following the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, when large-scale anti-Israel rallies in Australian cities featured chants that were widely perceived as threatening to Jews.
Mounting Pressure on the Government
The families' letter is not an isolated appeal. It follows a similar demand from the Rabbinical Association of Australasia, which also wrote to Prime Minister Albanese. The Association criticized the Labour government's response as "insufficient" and noted a perception that the current administration has been more hostile toward Israel than previous governments.
Their statement framed modern antisemitism as a borderless threat, stating it "spreads like a cancer through national and global networks — online platforms, funding streams, radical Islamist and other extremist ideologies, and radicalization pathways."
Despite this pressure, Prime Minister Albanese has so far resisted calls for a broad federal probe specifically into antisemitism and the attack's context. Instead, his government has announced a review focused on the powers and procedures of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Additionally, Albanese has proposed sweeping gun law reforms—a move some critics within the Jewish community view as a diversion from the core issues of ideological hatred and intelligence failures highlighted by the massacre.
Notably, two lawmakers from Albanese's own Labour Party, Ed Husic and Mike Freelander, have broken ranks to publicly support the call for a comprehensive national inquiry, indicating growing political pressure on the issue.
