Hearing Block 5: Jewish community security

Hearing Block 5 will be held from Monday 20 July to Monday 27 July 2026 in Melbourne and Sydney.

The fifth hearing block will focus on security arrangements for the Jewish community and will examine:

• The security needs of, and existing security arrangements for, Jewish institutions, events and leaders.
• The role served by the Jewish community security groups (CSGs) in Australia and equivalent organisations worldwide.
• Coordination between law enforcement agencies and CSGs in protecting the Jewish community.
• Government funding provided for protective security.
• Police data collection processes relevant to assessing risk to the Jewish community.
• The role of emergency preparedness and resilience training, by police and communities, in addressing security risk.

"Hearing Block 5 will investigate how governments, law enforcement agencies and community security organisations can work together to respond effectively to antisemitic conduct,” Commissioner Virginia Bell AC SC said.

“By examining both current arrangements and opportunities for improvement, the Royal Commission aims to identify approaches that enhance safety and security to protect Jewish Australians, cultural institutions and events.”

Evidence from Hearing Block 5 reflects paragraph (b)(ii) of the Royal Commission’s Terms of Reference, as well as aspects of paragraph (b)(i) concerned with guidance and training for law enforcement agencies to respond to antisemitic conduct.

The Royal Commission will continue to publish the list of witnesses the day before they are due to give evidence on our website. Members of the public can attend hearings in person at 11 Exhibition Street, Melbourne (20–24 July) and 83 Clarence Street, Sydney (27 July), or view the livestream of the public hearings on our website. Some evidence, including from witnesses covering operationally sensitive matters, may be heard in closed session.