The Bondi Royal Commission. Truth telling and uncontested falsehoods

The focus of the Bondi Royal Commission hearings has been witnesses recounting their experience of antisemitism, mostly unchallenged. But facts matter, former magistrate David Heilpern reports.

I have been listening to the Anti-Semitism Royal Commission evidence this week, and it has been a rollercoaster. That a religious minority feels terrified in that way is deplorable, and I hope that the Royal Commission can come up with some solutions.

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But on the other hand, I find myself screaming at times. When a witness describes their children too fearful to wear their kippah in public, I feel sympathy. But then I say to myself, “Well, at least they have all their limbs”. When a witness claims to have been degraded on a bus, I cannot help thinking, “welcome to what Aboriginal people have been suffering for generations”.

But that aside, this is a valuable part of the process – for those affected by antisemitism to have a voice and tell the world of their hurt and fear. We have seen this in other inquiries on child sexual assault and the stolen generation, and it makes for a permanent record and justifiable recognition. It is about victim response and reactions, not about legalities, and that is as it should be.

However, some witnesses have said things that are just wrong, and demonstrably so. They have stated as facts matters that simply are not true. This should not be allowed to go unchecked.

I have selected the example below carefully. In doing so, I don’t want to denigrate the witness’s (whom I have not identified) experience or invalidate their concerns. There is other evidence they gave, which was compelling and highly critical of the police response to a complaint of violent anti-Semitism. I have selected this passage also because they were invited by the commission to read a letter written shortly after Bondi.

Here is what was said, verbatim:

“Most of you outside Australia don’t realise what Jewish families here having living threw (sic). A small glimpse:

– “Gas the Jews” chanted at the Opera House – no response.
– A mass march across the harbour bridge with giant posters of Ayatollah Khamenei – no condemnation.
– A Kosher business firebombed – no outrage.
– Synagogues torched – no headlines.
– Cars and homes attacked – no concern.
– A child care centre firebombed – no national alarm.
– Explosives prepared for Jewish schools – no crisis.
– Nurses vowing to kill Jewish patients – no consequences.
– A synagogue firebombed with people inside – silence.”

Facts matter

I accept that in the aftermath of Bondi, responses were rightly emotional and exploratory. I would not have been concerned then. But now, it is worth taking stock, fact-checking and seeing whether these claims are factual, given that they were repeated and read onto the record.

“Gas the Jews” chanted at the Opera House – no response.

This refers to a protest at the Opera House in October 2023. This claim has been the subject of forensic examination by the NSW police, and it has been debunked. “Where’s the Jews”, which is less serious, was said, and is not just antisemitic but also threatening.

But to suggest that there was no response to this conduct, whatever was said, is simply wrong. Apart from the intensive police investigation concluding with “overwhelming certainty” that “gas” was not said, the Prime Minister, the Premier of NSW and the Foreign Minister, among others, were quick to condemn the protest and the words used.

A mass march across the harbour bridge with giant posters of Ayatollah Khamenei – no condemnation.

There undoubtedly was a single smallish poster carried in a prominent position by one person out of 300,000 in the August 2025 March for Humanity. This was condemned by all and sundry, including  ALP identities Bob Carr, Ed Husic, Tony Sheldon, who were all at the march, as well as Matt Thistlewaite, speaking for the PM and the Government.

It was also widely condemned by multiple media outlets, rally organisers, other politicians and mainstream Jewish organisations. To suggest it was not condemned paints a picture of indifference that did not exist.

A Kosher business firebombed – no outrage.

This refers most likely to the burning of Lewis’s Kitchen in Bondi in October 2024, later identified by ASIO as part of the Iranian regime’s targeted attacks.

In the days following the initial fire, the police were denying ($) that this was a targeted attack, which naturally muted any commentary. However, once it became apparent that this was one part of the alleged Iranian attack, and people were charged, then the condemnation and outrage were widely expressed.

Indeed, this attack was one of several that led to the Australian Government expelling the Iranian ambassador, the first such action since World War II. To suggest there was no outrage once this link was made is simply incorrect. It is worth noting that the Iranian involvement in this fire was declared in August 2025, months before this witness’s letter. 

Too little, too late. Iran guard first declared terrorists in 2023

Synagogues torched – no headlines/ A synagogue firebombed with people inside – silence.

There have been three synagogue attacks in relevant timeframes. The Adass Israel Synagogue was set on fire in a terrorist arson attack in December 2024. Newtown Synagogue was vandalised and subjected to attempted arson in January 2025. The East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation had its doors set alight on fire on July 4, 2025.

To test the hypothesis that there were no headlines, I looked at Trove on the print versions of the prominent city newspapers on the appropriate days, Herald Sun, The Telegraph, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. There were prominent or front-page headlines for each. Online is harder, however, the ABC and The Guardian, news.com.au and Sky had it as a lead story at times on the days following.

For the Australian, the events were headlined as expected. Commercial radio and television news either had the first as their first or second story. To suggest that there were no headlines is factually unsustainable.

To state that there was silence is even worse and paints a completely false picture.

Cars and homes attacked – no concern.

This likely refers to a series of attacks in Sydney during 2024 and 2025, including:

• The graffiti attack on a house formerly owned by prominent Zionist Alex Ryvchin;
• Two incidents in Woollahra where vehicles were graffitied with anti-Semitic slogans and set on fire;
• A spray paint incident in Queens Park in January 2025 on a car with “Fuck the Jews”;
• A spray paint attack on buildings in Maroubra in January 2025, including Mount Saini College.

Again, to suggest that there was no concern for these attacks is fanciful. There were rare cross-party press conferences, condemnation from the Prime Minister down, and also from the Greens. The Premier Chris Minns was vociferous in his outrage and concern for each incident.

The Federal Government announced a $100m counter terrorist funding boost directly linked to these attacks. The Muslim community also voiced its concern in many outlets.

A child care centre firebombed – no national alarm.

On 21 January 2025, a preschool was set alight and graffiti with antisemitic words appeared 200 metres from the Maroubra synagogue.

Perhaps the best way to assess whether there was “national alarm” is the reaction of the Prime Minister. He was at the preschool condemning the attack the very next day. He then, directly as a result, convened a National Cabinet meeting, made up of every Premier and Chief Minister in the country.

If that is not ringing the national alarm bell, then I don’t know what is. To suggest, in those circumstances, that there was no national alarm is false.

Explosives prepared for Jewish schools – no crisis.

This refers to the finding of explosives in a caravan in Dural in 2025, which has now been declared by police to be an elaborate hoax. I can find no reference to “explosives prepared for Jewish schools” in any media or police reports, although there was a fake list of targets.

However, it was certainly treated as a crisis initially by the Minns government, and the find triggered legislation on hate speech rushed through parliament because of the perceived threat. A crisis is “a dangerous turning point”, and that is exactly how it was treated at all levels of government, until it was discovered to be fake.

It is hard to see what else governments could have done in response.

Nurses vowing to kill Jewish patients – no consequences.

Of all the statements this witness made, this is perhaps the most blatant falsehood.

This is probably pedantry, but the nurses did not vow to kill Jewish patients; they identified Israeli patients. However, they were immediately suspended, they had their certification revoked nationally within days, both have been charged with criminal offences, and the health minister declared that they would never work in the health system again.

Suggesting that there were no consequences for these actions is demonstrably and obviously incorrect. 

Witness statement uncontested

Why did Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission ask for this letter to be read into the record when basic internet searching shows it to be largely wrong?

If it stands solely as a rhetorical expression of a feeling of abandonment, perhaps that is sufficient purpose. However, what is the Royal Commission going to do about the record now that these claims have been shown to be false? If they are to stand, then what rights do the governments and police agencies at state and federal levels have to correct the record?

And why would a witness, on oath, make claims that are so baseless when the mere facts of the attacks themselves prove antisemitism is rife and dangerous?

The witness could have readily posited that not enough was done in response, but to suggest that there was no outrage, no headlines, no alarm, no crisis and just silence is gross overreach and only

invites those prone to underplay antisemitism to point to this as an example of exaggeration.

The point of every inquisitorial process is to get to the truth, and not to allow falsity to stand, let alone invite its repetition on oath.

If we are to have a rational discussion on how to reduce antisemitism, then it can only be in an environment where those who blur history to favour their existing position are corrected, however gently and sensitively. After all, we all share the same goal, even soft green lefties like me. And that is for peace, for harmony and for all religious, racial and ethnic minorities to live in safety, no matter their beliefs.

The Bondi massacre interim report is out. Don’t mention the G word

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