Hearing Block 2 of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will hold its second public hearing block in Sydney starting Monday 25 May 2026.
Hearing Block 2 will examine the circumstances surrounding the attack at Bondi on 14 December 2025. In particular, the matters identified in the Royal Commission’s Interim Report as warranting further examination will be explored.
Hearing Block 2 will focus on:
- The terrorism threat level and security environment in the lead up to the attack.
- The conduct of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies relevant to the attack, including what was known about the shooters and what was done with that information.
- The security arrangements for the Chanukah by the Sea event.
- How intelligence about individuals known to authorities is utilised and shared to inform decisions made by security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, including, for example, decisions about whether and how individuals are monitored and decisions in respect of firearms licence applications.
- Resourcing for counter-terrorism, and the effectiveness of current powers, systems and processes of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Members of the public can view the livestream of the public hearings on the Royal Commission’s website. Further details will be available on the Royal Commission’s website shortly.
Where the sensitivity of the evidence requires it, aspects of the hearings in this block will be closed to the public to avoid prejudice to national security and/or the ongoing criminal proceedings relating to the attack. Closed hearings will not be livestreamed or able to be attended.
The Royal Commission wants to hear from the community and welcomes submissions from members of the public and institutions on all aspects of the Commission’s terms of reference. The Commission will continue to accept submissions until Sunday 14 June 2026.