Witnesses Describe Antisemitism Experiences at Australian Royal Commission Hearings

He described the experience as one of the scariest moments of his life and said he felt a "guttural fear" that the group would be attacked. The parade organisers removed another group from marching over social media posts directed at the Jewish LGBTQIA+ participants.

Other witnesses included a Victorian Jewish studies teacher who described anti-Zionism as denying Jews a central part of their identity. A non-Jewish lawyer reported being called a "sneaky Jew" and a "Jewish rat" at a Sydney pub. One witness said she experienced antisemitism from her own friends and heard comments about gassing Jews while at school.

A volunteer on a crisis counselling hotline told the commission she became anxious about answering calls after an immediate increase in antisemitic calls following the October 7 2023 terrorist attack in Israel. The volume of such calls eventually forced her to give up her role.

Public hearings will continue next week with a focus on the definition of antisemitism. A progressive Jewish group that does not support the definition adopted by the commission has been granted limited leave to appear and cross-examine expert witnesses.

A second block of hearings beginning May 25 will examine the December 14 terror attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people, most of them Jewish. The commission will review the terrorism threat level in the lead-up to the attack, the conduct of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and how intelligence about individuals known to authorities is shared.

The inquiry will also assess security arrangements for the Bondi Beach event and what was known about the attackers.