Families of Bondi Beach victims demand more federal action on antisemitism and security failures

Families of victims of the recent Sydney massacre that targeted a Jewish festival released an open letter calling for more federal action to investigate a rise in antisemitism and the security failures behind Australia’s worst mass shooting in decades.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Families of victims of the recent Sydney massacre that targeted a Jewish festival released an open letter on Monday calling for more federal action to investigate a rise in antisemitism and the security failures behind Australia’s worst mass shooting in three decades.

Two gunmen are accused of shooting 15 people dead and wounding 40 others in an attack on a Hanukkah festival on Bondi Beach on Dec. 14.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, 17 families of the dead and wounded called for a federal inquiry known as a royal commission to investigate a rise in antisemitism in Australia since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023 and consequent security agency failures.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a Dec. 21 memorial for victims of the shooting at Bondi Beach.David Gray / AFP - Getty ImagesRoyal commissions are the most powerful form of public investigation in Australia and witnesses can be jailed for deliberately withholding evidence.

“We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward,” the letter said.