Royal commission witness says antisemitism risks safety of children

Public hearings for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion began this week, with witnesses like Ms Natalie Levy telling the inquiry of their experience of discrimination in the community.

The inquiry was called to assess the circumstances surrounding the Bondi terror attack, which killed 15 people on December 14, and the spread of antisemitism that preceded it. A volunteer with the Jewish Community Security Group NSW (CSG NSW), Ms Levy said antisemitism was an “olden-day concept” that had been “the furthest thing from anyone’s mind” during her childhood, but the current situation is now very difficult for her children; her preschool son and teenage daughter both have to be exposed to ‘vile’ antisemitism on a daily basis.

Among those to give evidence on Monday, Holocaust survivor says Jews ‘have become targets’ in Australia, was Holocaust survivor Peter Halasz, who told the commission he was scared to wear his Star of David in public. A Geelong mother known as AAP said her children were disturbed by antisemitic remarks made by their peers, with her son saying some had discussed dressing up as Adolf Hitler or the alleged Bondi Beach shooters for their Year 12 muck up day celebrations. She said she had wanted to address the issue with her son’s school, but her children preferred to keep quiet for fear of being “isolated” and “teased”.

Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell SC delivered her interim report on the commission on Thursday, making 14 recommendations to improve Australia’s counter-terrorism capabilities. On Monday, she told the inquiry the “sharp spike” in antisemitic incidents appeared “clearly linked to events in the Middle East”. The commission has received more than 7,400 submissions, with two more hearing blocks scheduled in the coming months. A final report is due a year from the date of the terror attack.