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Australian business leaders and public figures have joined forces to call for a commonwealth royal commission into antisemitism, radicalism and the events leading up to the 14 December Bondi beach terrorist attack.
At least 120 leaders have signed the open letter, including former Reserve Bank of Australia governors Philip Lowe and Glenn Stevens, billionaire James Packer, former Telstra chief executive David Thodey, as well as sporting figures, politicians and university chancellors.
The prime minister has so far resisted a push from the families of Bondi beach massacre victims, Jewish groups and legal minds for a national royal commission.
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The Labor government has instead set up a review into the responses intelligence and law enforcement agencies, led by the former Asio boss Dennis Richardson.
The open letter, published on Friday by multiple media outlets, says practical solutions are needed to restore social cohesion and protect the safety of all Australians.
“This is a national crisis, which requires a national response. This goes beyond politics, it’s about the future of our country,” it said.
“As business leaders and proud Australians committed to upholding our values of tolerance and mutual respect, we recognise the need for clear answers as to how the Bondi massacre could occur.”
The signatories want an end to “the unprecedented harassment, intimidation and violence” directed at the Australian Jewish community since 7 October 2023, when Hamas invaded southern Israel and killed more than 1,000 people and took another 251 hostage.
The incursion sparked a massive response from Israel which began bombing Gaza, killing many thousands of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Australia’s most senior Catholics have also joined the call for a broader inquiry into antisemitism in a separate letter published on Friday.
The Catholic archbishop of Perth, Timothy Costelloe, said while the Richardson review was an important step to prevent a repeat of the Bondi attack, there was a need to confront and eradicate the deeper roots of antisemitism in Australia.
“It is only by shining a light into the dark corners of our society … that we can hope to unmask the antisemitism which might otherwise go unseen, unacknowledged and unaddressed,” the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president said.
“For that reason, alongside the Richardson review, some form of wider, national inquiry with sufficient authority and resourcing which can probe into the deeper issues which lie at the heart of antisemitism is needed.”
The NSW government will hold a state-based royal commission, which will have the cooperation of federal agencies, the federal government has said.
Albanese remained unswayed on Thursday after the human rights commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, said a national probe was “essential”.
The prime minister was pressed for names after declaring he had been advised by “actual experts” to hold a departmental review.
He cited Richardson as one of the experts, along with the heads of security authorities.
