Establishment of an Australian Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
In the days following the terrible antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, I had hoped to see a more immediate and decisive response by the Australian Government. Australia has now established a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, with bold aims to serve as a thorough and decisive national response to confronting hate and strengthening social cohesion.
What is a Royal Commission
For international readers, a Royal Commission is not a political gesture. It is serious and the most powerful public investigative inquiry available in Australia. Independent of government, it has the authority to compel testimony, subpoena documents, and expose systemic failure. Royal Commissions exist to uncover truth, assign responsibility, and transform.
In the United States, the closest equivalent might be an independent inquiry such as the 9/11 Commission. However, Royal Commissions usually operate with broader investigative powers and a stronger expectation that governments will act on their findings. The people of Australia expect governments to act on the findings.
The Focus of the Royal Commission
This Royal Commission will examine four areas:
1. The nature and drivers of antisemitism in Australian society;
2. How law enforcement, border control, and security agencies can better respond to antisemitic conduct;
3. The circumstances surrounding the antisemitic Bondi terrorist attack on 14 December 2025; and
4. Broader measures to strengthen social cohesion and counter ideologically and religiously motivated extremism.
The importance of the Royal Commission lies not only in confronting antisemitism, critical as that is, but also a strong focus on social cohesion. Social cohesion touches every Australian community, every belief system, and every political persuasion. This is not a left-right argument. It is a question of Australian unity versus fragmentation.
What took so long…
I would have liked to see more decisive action within the first 24 hours of the terrorist attack. But I had to ask myself is that expectation realistic. It would have been nice, but upon reflection, it was not realistic. In many countries, governments never act at all. They never take accountability. In that context, if the worst-case scenario is that Australia took a few weeks to establish a Royal Commission, that is acceptable. What matters is not speed alone, but substance and actions.
Looking ahead
No matter the findings of the Royal Commission, I trust that action will follow—action taken in the interests of all Australians, not business, not billionaires. That, to me, is the Australian way. Beautiful people, beautiful beaches, beautiful culture—and action. This is another way Australia is beautiful – we take action. We are not perfect, but we are pretty good.
This is also not about thoughts and prayers. A Royal Commission is an act of intent. It replaces rhetoric with evidence, and sentiment with accountability. While many nations debate how to address extremism, terrorism, or hate-fuelled violence, far fewer establish structures capable of delivering systemic change.
In Australia, the debate has not been whether a Royal Commission should exist, but why it took time to establish. That question itself reflects something important: Australians expect more than sympathy. They expect answers—and action.
In a world where many governments have failed to act decisively, this Commission says something enduring about Australian values. Unity matters. Extremism must be confronted. And words alone are not enough.
In my view, we may not be the perfect nation, but at its best, Australia is thoughtful, accountable, and prepared to act in the best interest of all Australians.
Being Arthur 