A federal royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion has been called by Anthony Albanese after weeks of pressure to establish an inquiry.
The prime minister confirmed former High Court justice Virginia Bell has been tapped to lead the inquiry which will report to government before December 14 this year.
The circumstances surrounding the Bondi terror attack, and how to address and tackle the key drivers of antisemitism in Australia will be examined during the inquiry.
Ms Bell will also make recommendations on how to strengthen social cohesion and counter the spread of ideological and religiously motivated extremism.
Mr Albanese has been under pressure in recent weeks for resisting a push for a federal royal commission after 15 died in an alleged ISIS-inspired attack targeting a Hanukkah event last month.
He had expressed concern about the length of a royal commission and the potential platforming of antisemitism during the process.
But he defended his U-turn on Thursday, saying he had come to the position that a federal probe was required after discussions with the Jewish community and families of the victims.
“What we’ve done is listen and we’ll work through those issues and we’ve concluded that where we have landed today is an appropriate way forward for national unity,” he said.
A previously announced review of federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies, being undertaken by former security boss Dennis Richardson, will be folded into the royal commission.
However, Mr Richardson’s recommendations will still be handed back to the government in April.
The federal review will replace the state-based NSW royal commission, which was announced by NSW Premier Chris Minns in the days after the terror attack.
Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal, who stood alongside Mr Albanese as he announced the federal royal commission, welcomed the move.
“It does reflect the seriousness of the growth in antisemitism and its impact on our country and our democracy,” she said.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said he hoped the royal commission would “allow an honest examination” of the conduct of institutions and figures over the past two years.
“This is the only way that Australia’s time-honoured standards of decency and fairness can be upheld,” he said.
The Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler called the royal commission a “necessary and important step” and said the scope of the terms of reference “provides a strong foundation for meaningful outcomes”.
The decision to appoint Ms Bell as commissioner comes amid pushback from former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who claimed the Jewish community held concerns about her appointment.
Ms Bell started her career at the Redfern Legal Centre in the 1970s, during which time she defended the dozens of people arrested during the first Mardi Gras parade. She was appointed as a judge on the NSW Supreme Court in 1999.
She became the fourth woman to serve on the High Court bench when she was appointed by the Rudd government in 2009. She retired in 2021.
Bell was chosen by Mr Albanese to lead a probe into Scott Morrison’s secret ministry appointments. The report, published later that year, found Mr Morrison’s actions were “corrosive” to trust in government.
She also briefly hosted the ABC program Late Night Live in the early 90s.