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Sheina Gutnick, the daughter of Bondi Beach terror attack victim Reuven Morrison, will be the first witness before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion when public hearings begin on Monday.
Former High Court judge Virginia Bell will preside over the first block of public hearings in Sydney with the focus to be on the definition of antisemitism, and the lived experiences by Jewish Australians.
Gutnick, whose father was killed as he tried to protect others during the Bondi attack on December 14, was a signatory to an open letter from victims’ families demanding answers and accountability from the government, alongside a Commonwealth royal commission.
Other witnesses expected to appear on Monday include Rabbi Benjamin Elton from The Great Synagogue and Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin, whose former Dover Heights home was firebombed during Sydney’s so-called summer of hate.
The first block of hearings, which commence at 10am, will continue until Friday, May 15.
Bell last week handed down her interim report, which focused on NSW Police and security agencies and possible failures that may have led to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, in which 15 people, most of them Jewish, were killed on the first night of Hanukkah last year.
As of April 30, the royal commission said it had received more than 7500 submissions, most from NSW, followed by Victoria.
More than 4000 respondents identified as Jewish; more than 1000 did not identify as Jewish; and the remaining respondents preferred not to say, according to the latest update from the commission.
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Alexandra Smith is a senior writer and former state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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