Business leaders and Catholic bishops join call for royal commission after Bondi attack | Bondi beach terror attack
Australian business leaders and public figures have joined forces to call for a Commonwealth royal commission into antisemitism, radicalism and the events leading up to the December 14 Bondi beach terror attack.
At least 120 leaders signed the open letter, including former Reserve Bank of Australia governors Philip Lowe and Glenn Stevens, billionaire James Packer, former Telstra chief executive David Thodey, as well as sports figures, politicians and university presidents.
The Prime Minister has so far resisted pressure from families of Bondi beach massacre victims, Jewish groups and lawyers to establish a national royal commission.
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The Labor government instead launched a review into the response of intelligence and law enforcement, led by former Asio boss Dennis Richardson.
The open letter, published by multiple media outlets on Friday, says practical solutions are needed to restore social cohesion and protect the safety of all Australians.
The statement said, “This is a national crisis and requires a national response. This goes beyond politics, it is about the future of our country.”
“As business leaders and proud Australians committed to upholding our values of tolerance and mutual respect, we recognize the need for clear answers as to how the Bondi massacre could have occurred.”
The signatories are calling for an end to the “unprecedented harassment, intimidation and violence” against Australia’s Jewish community since October 7, 2023, when Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and taking 251 hostages.
The attack sparked a huge reaction from Israel, which began bombing Gaza and killed thousands of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Australia’s top Catholics joined calls for a wider investigation into antisemitism in a separate letter published on Friday.
Catholic Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe said the Richardson review was an important step to prevent a repeat of the Bondi attack, but the deeper roots of antisemitism in Australia needed to be confronted and tackled.
“Only by shining a light into the dark corners of our society can we hope to unmask antisemitism that otherwise goes unseen, unacknowledged and unaddressed,” the president of the Australian Conference of Catholic Bishops said.
“That is why, alongside the Richardson review, there is a need for a wider, national inquiry with adequate authority and resources that can investigate the deeper issues at the heart of antisemitism.”
The federal government has said the NSW government will establish a state-based royal commission that will collaborate with federal agencies.
Albanese remained unchanged on Thursday after human rights commissioner Lorraine Finlay said a national investigation was “essential”.
The prime minister was pressed on the name after revealing that he had been advised by “real experts” to conduct a ministerial review.
He cited Richardson as one of the experts, along with the heads of security officials.
