‘They came to kill us’: royal commission hears horrific accounts of antisemitism faced by Jewish children in Australia

A royal commission in Australia is hearing harrowing accounts of antisemitism faced by Jewish children. Parents testified that children are experiencing daily abuse, witnessing swastikas and Nazi salutes at school, and feeling unsafe due to rising antisemitism. One mother, identified as Dina, told the commission that her child expressed fear of dying in Bondi, referencing the December massacre. She stated that the Jewish community lives with a different reality, and the Bondi incident was a violent manifestation of unchecked antisemitism. Another parent, Natalie Levy, described her daughter seeing swastikas and classmates performing Nazi salutes at her Sydney school. The hearings are exploring the impact of these experiences on young Jewish individuals in Australia.

A royal commission investigating antisemitism in Australia heard testimony from individuals who have experienced its rise. Reuven Morrison's daughter described her father's pride in Australia, contrasting with her own "complicated" feelings about Bondi Beach due to current antisemitism. Another witness, who emigrated from South Africa, expressed concerns about Australia as a home for his grandchildren. The commission, which has received nearly 7,500 submissions, is holding public hearings until May 15th, focusing on lived experiences of antisemitism. Overseer Virginia Bell noted a "sharp spike" in antisemitism, linked to Middle Eastern events, prompting hostility towards Jewish Australians. The commission has already made recommendations, including gun reforms and extended policing for Jewish events.

Sheina Gutnick, daughter of Reuven Morrison, testified at a royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion regarding the Bondi beach terror attack. Her father was killed on December 14th, allegedly by IS-inspired gunmen, while defending his community during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi beach. Gutnick described Bondi as a place of conflicting emotions, where her parents met and she holds cherished childhood memories, but which now carries a "heavy weight" for the Jewish community. She also shared a personal experience of antisemitic harassment at Westfield Bondi Junction a year prior, highlighting a pervasive fear. Her father, a refugee from Ukraine, was deeply proud of his Australian citizenship and the country's welcome to Jewish people.