Jewish leaders are urging the antisemitism Royal Commission to call senior Labor ministers to give evidence on major policy failings in the lead-up to the Bondi terror attack.
The Royal Commission into antisemitism recommenced hearings on Monday, focussing on the “dissemination of antisemitic content” through traditional media as well as online.
But after hearing from security experts, behind closed doors, and Jewish Australians on their lived experiences of antisemitism, the Royal Commission is being urged to call senior Labor ministers.
This has sparked questions on whether the government should be let off the hook from being grilled publicly on its failings.
Former Australian Jewish Association president David Adler said the Labor government should answer for policy decisions which “significantly incited antisemitism and emboldened activists”.
“It has done this by a whole series of major anti-Israel policy shifts and making decisions which put the Jewish community at heightened risk,” Mr Adler told SkyNews.com.au.
Mr Adler said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were the “most responsible” government officials for the rise in antisemitism in Australia.
“All three should be called before the Royal Commission to answer questions on the radical shift of Australia’s formerly bipartisan policy,” he said.
It is unknown whether ministers have already given evidence behind closed doors, however calls are growing for public hearings.
Shadow education minister Julian Leeser said the Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister “should absolutely appear” before the Royal Commission if asked.
“There are real questions to be asked about the state of our terrorism preparedness, levels of counter-terrorism funding and who knew what and when prior to Bondi which only they can answer,” he told SkyNews.com.au.
The Australian’s Simon Benson said Mr Albanese himself had flagged earlier in the year that he would make cabinet members, or himself, available for the Commissioner if called upon.
The scope of the third block of hearings included the Commission examining the “effectiveness of existing policy settings relating to the online safety environment”.
Mr Benson said the government was directly responsible for regulation around online hate speech.
“One of the questions they want to go to is the policy settings and the regulation around online hate speech,” Mr Benson told Sky News Chief Anchor Kieran Gilbert.
“Now if the executive of government isn’t responsible for setting policy and regulation … then who is?”
Mr Benson said a minister being called to give evidence was not to facilitate a “gotcha moment” but to provide the public with an explanation about how decisions are made.
“What decisions were made and at what level, about whether it’s funding for counter-terrorism, dealing with antisemitism, because there are questions about the government’s lack of speed and haste in which it dealt with the appointment of a special envoy, for example,” he said.
However, Mr Benson said it was “rare” for a sitting minister to be hauled before a Royal Commission.
Earlier this month, Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell rejected the government’s bid to keep certain documents secret from the antisemitism inquiry, including material linked to evidence from ASIO boss Mike Burgess.
The former High Court justice determined that the public interest in limited disclosure of the documents overruled cabinet confidentiality.
In April, Ms Bell delivered her interim report examining the circumstances surrounding the Bondi terrorist attack, with 14 recommendations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to accept all that relates to the Commonwealth.
The recommendations include calls to heighten security during Jewish events and refine counter-terror co-operation between federal and state agencies.