New Israel Fund Australia has made a submission to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
Executive summary
New Israel Fund (NIF) Australia makes this submission in the shadow of the terrorist attack at
Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, the deadliest act of antisemitic violence in Australian
history, which took 15 lives and wounded 40 more. Staff and community members of NIF
Australia were directly and indirectly affected by this attack. With a profound sense of urgency,
we hope that the Commission’s work will produce lasting, principled and effective responses to
antisemitism and for the sake of national social cohesion.
NIF Australia is an ACNC-registered charity supporting civil society organisations working for
peace, justice, equality and democracy in Israel and Palestine. Our submission responds
substantively to terms of reference A and D. We have also included distinct policy
recommendations in regards to reference F (refer to Appendix A). We do not address terms of
reference B and C, which concern law enforcement, security agencies and the specific
circumstances of the December 2025 attack, as they fall outside our organisational expertise.
As a Jewish organisation, NIF Australia occupies a bridging position in the polarised discourse
of the community. Subject to criticism from multiple directions, we bring direct experience of
how antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism and political divisions have all intensified in Australia
since 7 October 2023 and the Bondi beach massacre .
Our submission makes the following key arguments:
On definitions: While we recognise the Commission's adoption of the IHRA definition, we
urge careful implementation that does not chill legitimate political expression. We
suggest other frameworks, such as the Nexus Document, as valuable alternatives for
navigating contested questions around Israel, Zionism and criticism of government
policy.
On anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel: Criticism of Israeli government policy, support
for Palestinian self-determination, and religious or political objections to Zionism do not
constitute antisemitism. We provide a framework for distinguishing legitimate political
speech from genuine antisemitism.
On responses to antisemitism: Effective responses are strongest when embedded
within a broader anti-racism framework that builds solidarity across communities rather
than competition between them.
On foreign policy: We commend Australia's support for both Israeli and Palestinian
safety, security and self-determination, urge further action, and reject the proposition
that such positions fuel antisemitism.
