Royal Commission on Antisemitism & Social Cohesion

Live Dashboard  ·  Commissioner: Justice Virginia Bell AC  ·  Established 9 January 2026

Page viewed: ✅ Block 1 & 2 Complete  ·  📍 Block 3 FINAL STAGES — Online hate & media (ends 10 Jul) 📋 Interim Report tabled 30 April 2026 📅 Final Report due 14 December 2026
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Submission Statistics
📝

Total Submissions Received

21,000+
As of 15 June 2026
↑ 4,365 since 11 May
⚡

Submissions — Past Week

~2,000
Surge in final submission period
~31% growth since 11 May
✡️

Identified as Jewish

4,000+
of all submitters (as of 30 Apr)
~70% of total
🤝

Non-Jewish Submitters

1,000+
Did not identify as Jewish (as of 30 Apr)
Remainder: prefer not to say
Geographic & Demographic Breakdown

Submissions by State / Territory

NSW
2,700+
47%
VIC
~1,700
30%
Other
~1,300
23%

NSW & VIC volumes reflect Australia's largest Jewish communities in Sydney and Melbourne.

Submitter Identity — as of 30 Apr

~70% Jewish
  • Identified as Jewish 4,000+ (≈70%)
  • Non-Jewish 1,000+ (≈18%)
  • Prefer not to say ~700 (≈12%)
Interim Report, Hearings & Timeline

Interim Report — 14 Recommendations (30 Apr 2026)

Focus: Counter-terrorism & the Bondi attack (14 Dec 2025). Government accepted all Commonwealth-applicable recommendations.

1
NSW Police Operation Jewish High Holy Days procedures to be extended to other high-risk Jewish festivals and public-facing events nationally.
✓ Accepted
2
Commonwealth & states to prioritise finalising a nationally consistent updated National Firearms Agreement.
✓ Accepted
3
Counter-Terrorism Handbook updated promptly and at minimum every three years; Commonwealth Counter-Terrorism Coordinator role made full-time.
✓ Accepted
4
Enhanced national coordination on early intervention and prevention of radicalisation.
✓ Accepted
5
Improvements to intelligence-sharing between federal and state agencies regarding lone-actor threats.
✓ Accepted
🔒
5 recommendations remain classified (national security).
Classified
+4
4 additional public recommendations not yet publicly summarised in full.

Commission Timeline

9 Jan 2026
Commission established by Letters Patent Commissioner: Justice Virginia Bell AC
24 Feb 2026
Opening public hearing, Sydney Commission formally convened
Mar–Apr 2026
Submissions open & major surge 21,000 submissions received
30 Apr 2026
Interim Report tabled in Parliament 14 recommendations on counter-terrorism
4–15 May 2026
✓ Hearing Block 1 — Sydney (COMPLETE) Antisemitism definition, lived experience, metrics — 55+ witnesses
14 Jun 2026
✓ Submissions portal closed — 21,000 received Submission period has now ended. Thank you to all who participated.
25 May 2026
✓ Hearing Block 2 — Sydney (COMPLETE) Bondi attack, intelligence & security agencies, counter-terrorism
29 Jun – 10 Jul 2026
◉ Hearing Block 3 — Sydney (FINAL STAGES) Online hate, social media platforms, traditional media & broadcasting, ACMA
Late 2026
Further hearing blocks (locations TBC) Education, institutions, arts, sport — dates to be confirmed
14 Dec 2026
Final Report due Presented to Governor-General

Current Hearing Block

Block 3
Sydney, NSW — 83 Clarence St
29 Jun – 10 Jul 2026  ·  Final day today
⚡ FINAL STAGES
Focus areas:
• Online antisemitism & hate speech
• Social media platforms (Meta, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram)
• Traditional media & broadcasting
• ACMA complaints handling & regulation

Commissioner

Justice Virginia Bell AC
Former Justice of the High Court of Australia (Feb 2009 – Feb 2021). Sole commissioner. Appointed 9 January 2026.

Key Figures

14
Interim recommendations
5
Classified recs
100%
Govt acceptance rate
—
Days to final report
83
Witnesses heard
19,700
Livestream views
Terms of Reference & Submission Themes

Terms of Reference — Key Inquiry Areas

Letters patent issued 9 January 2026. Commissioner to examine:

Antisemitism definition Prevalence & spread Jewish lived experience Safety & physical wellbeing Mental health impacts Government responses Law enforcement Border & immigration Security agencies Counter-terrorism Social cohesion Extremism prevention Bondi attack (14 Dec 2025) Institutional responses Recommendations

Submission Themes — Lived Experience of Antisemitism

Overwhelmingly, submissions detail lived experiences across multiple domains:

🎓 Education 💼 Employment 📰 Media 🏥 Health 🎭 The Arts ⚽ Sport 💻 Online / Social Media 🏫 Universities 🏘️ Community life 🕍 Religious practice 🛡️ Physical safety 🧠 Mental wellbeing
Hearing Block 1 — Daily Schedule & Witnesses

Block 1  ·  Sydney  ·  4–15 May 2026  ·  10:00 am daily  · 

4 May
Opening — Lived Experience & Bondi Attack Impact
Sheina Gutnick (daughter of Bondi victim Reuven Morrison)  ·  Peter Halasz (Holocaust survivor)  ·  Alex Ryvchin (ECAJ Co-CEO, Bondi survivor)  ·  Josh Gomperts (Hatzolah paramedic)  ·  Rabbi Benjamin Elton (Great Synagogue)  ·  Jeremy Leibler (President, Zionist Federation of Australia)  ·  12 witnesses total incl. anonymous (court-granted)
5 May
Lived Experience — Education, Universities & Schools
University students (campus hostility)  ·  Teachers & parents (school antisemitism)  ·  See daily witness list for full names
6 May
Lived Experience — Employment, Health & the Arts
Healthcare professionals  ·  Arts sector witnesses  ·  Small business owners  ·  See daily witness list
7 May
Community Leadership & Institutional Response
Jillian Segal (Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism)  ·  12 witnesses total  ·  See full witness list
8 May
Online Hate, Sport & Media
Gay Jewish convert (antisemitism within LGBTQ community)  ·  8 witnesses total  ·  See full witness list
11 May
Definitions & Drivers of Antisemitism — Expert Evidence
Jewish Council of Australia (definitions & anti-Zionism vs antisemitism)  ·  See Day 6 witness list
12 May
Antisemitism & the Israel-Palestine Debate
Andrew Markus (Monash University) — survey data: negative views of Jews rose 9%→15% (2023–25)  ·  Peggy Dwyer (Counsel, Jewish Council of Australia)
13 May
Government & Institutional Responses
See daily witness list
14 May
International Perspective — Antisemitism Definition & Global Trends
Dr Dave Rich (Director of Policy, UK Community Security Trust) — sole witness, by video link from London  ·  Defended IHRA definition; warned anti-Jewish hatred has "entered the mainstream"
15 May
Closing — Block 1 Summary Submissions
See daily witness list
✅ Hearing Block 2 — Sydney — 25 May 2026 (COMPLETE)
25 May
Bondi Attack — Security & Intelligence Agencies (Public Sessions)
Mike Burgess (ASIO Director-General) — terrorism threat level, Iranian IRGC involvement  ·  Stephen Nutt (AFP Assistant Commissioner) — post-Oct 7 surge in antisemitic incidents  ·  Leanne McCusker (NSW Police Asst Commander) — no threat assessment prepared for Chanukah by the Sea event
26 May+
Security Arrangements, Resource Allocation & Intelligence Sharing
Peter McKenna (NSW Police Asst Commissioner) — police resource allocation decisions  ·  Community Services Group representatives (identities protected)  ·  Key finding: No agency had specific advance knowledge of the attack  ·  Most sessions closed — national security
⚡ Hearing Block 3 — Sydney — 29 Jun – 10 Jul 2026 (FINAL STAGES)
29 Jun
Online Hate & Antisemitism — Nature, Prevalence & Drivers
Dr Andre Oboler (Online Hate Prevention Institute CEO) — thousands of examples across 7 major platforms  ·  X platform cooperation collapsed after Musk takeover (~80% trust & safety staff cut)  ·  Facebook spiked post-Oct 7 2023 and again Jan & Apr 2026
1–7 Jul
Platform Policies, Regulation & Traditional Media
Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram representatives — content moderation effectiveness  ·  ACMA — complaints handling & regulatory powers  ·  TikTok: good removal rates but relies on public flagging  ·  YouTube: proactive screening prevents most hate speech going live  ·  Meta drastically reduced automated detection Jan 2025
9–10 Jul
Traditional Media & Broadcasting — Final Sessions
Antisemitism in news coverage and broadcasting  ·  Role of Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)  ·  SBS, ABC and other broadcasters' responses to antisemitic content
▶ Watch Live on YouTube 📋 Block 3 Details 🗓 All Hearing Blocks
Background Context
Triggering Event
Bondi Antisemitic Terrorist Attack — 14 December 2025
The Royal Commission was established in direct response to the Bondi attack. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry recorded 2,062 antisemitic incidents in the 12 months to September 2024 — a threefold increase. Block 2 hearing (25 May) confirmed no intelligence agency had specific advance knowledge of the attack. The Interim Report (April 2026) examined circumstances surrounding the attack and made 14 counter-terrorism recommendations, 5 of which remain classified on national security grounds.
Broader Mandate
Beyond the attack, the Commission examines the full breadth of antisemitism in Australian society — its prevalence, drivers, institutional and government responses, and what reforms would strengthen social cohesion. Final report due December 2026.
Legal Support Available
Free legal assistance is available for those making submissions or appearing as witnesses.

National Legal Aid RC Service →
📞 1800 976 198  ·  Free & independent

Legal Aid WA →
✅ Submissions now closed — thank you to all who participated

21,000 Australians made their voices heard.

The submission portal closed on 14 June 2026. A record number of Australians — Jewish and non-Jewish — shared their experiences with the Royal Commission. The Commission will now review all submissions ahead of its final report in December 2026.

21,000
Submissions received
4,000+
Jewish Australians
1,000+
Non-Jewish supporters
All states
Voices from across Australia
Follow the Commission's Progress →
Final report due 14 December 2026  ·  Hearings ongoing  ·  asc.royalcommission.gov.au