An inquiry into the antisemitic shooting at Bondi Beach has commenced public hearings in Sydney, focusing on the attack that resulted in 15 fatalities during a Jewish festival.
The federal royal commission is Australia's highest level of inquiry, established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the December assault by two gunmen on Jewish families.
During the hearings, members of Sydney's Jewish community shared their experiences with rising antisemitism.
"The sharp spike of antisemitism that we have witnessed in Australia has been mirrored in other Western countries and seems clearly linked to events in the Middle East," stated inquiry chair Virginia Bell.
Zelie Hegen, counsel assisting the inquiry, noted that thousands of submissions addressed the long-standing issue of antisemitism.
Sheina Gutnick, whose father was a victim of the Bondi attack, highlighted a noticeable increase in antisemitic sentiment following the start of the Gaza war in 2023.
Antisemitism was allowed to come into the open," Gutnick said, reflecting on the shift in attitudes.
Witnesses, some granted pseudonyms due to safety concerns, recounted the impact of antisemitic chants during protests against the Gaza conflict.
In the year following the protests, Jewish organizations documented over 2,000 antisemitic incidents across Australia.
The inquiry also revealed a series of violent acts, including arson and graffiti targeting Jewish sites in Sydney and Melbourne.
One security worker described escorting individuals to safety amid a threatening crowd during a memorial event.
Another witness, a Jewish woman with Holocaust survivor grandparents, expressed her shock at witnessing flag burnings, calling it an "un-Australian thing."
She criticized law enforcement for not intervening sooner as tensions escalated.
The inquiry is investigating the actions of Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, accused of conducting the mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration, marking Australia's deadliest attack in three decades.
Sajid Akram was killed by police during the incident, while Naveed Akram faces multiple charges, including terrorism and murder.