A significant antisemitism inquiry, initiated after a fatal terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, has urged all levels of government in Australia to prioritize a unified national approach to gun regulations. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, in its interim report released recently, put forth 14 recommendations, with five kept confidential for national security reasons. It emphasized the need for federal, state, and territory authorities to focus on implementing uniform firearms laws and a gun buyback program to eliminate surplus and illicit firearms from society.
The inquiry, set up by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following a mass shooting that claimed 15 lives during a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in December 2025, stressed the importance of engaging government leaders in counter-terrorism exercises within nine months of each federal election. Commissioner Virginia Bell’s interim report also highlighted the necessity for a review of counter-terrorism police and recommended heightened security measures by the New South Wales police force at Jewish gatherings.
Albanese affirmed that all relevant recommendations concerning the federal government would be embraced and put into action promptly. In response to the attack, he pledged reforms on gun ownership to restrict the number and types of firearms individuals can legally possess. Plans for a national gun buyback initiative were disclosed, encouraging Australians to surrender surplus and newly-restricted firearms. However, by the end of March, only half of the states and territories had agreed to participate in the buyback program.
The alleged gunman, Naveed Akram, faces charges of murder and terrorism in connection with the attack, reportedly driven by Islamic State ideology. His father, Sajid Akram, also implicated in the incident, was fatally shot at the scene. The royal commission refrains from delving into the attack’s motives to prevent influencing ongoing legal proceedings and is scheduled to issue its final report by the attack’s first anniversary.
