In response to firsthand testimonies about escalating anti-Semitism in the community, a royal commission is set to launch an investigation on Monday into potential lapses by security agencies in preventing the tragic mass shooting on December 14, which claimed the lives of 15 innocent individuals.
The inquiry will include appearances from two representatives of the Jewish security group, CSG NSW, who are scheduled to testify.
The commission will focus on examining the security measures in place for the targeted Chanukah by the Sea event, as well as what counter-terrorism units and police knew regarding the attackers.
While some parts of the investigation will be accessible to the public, significant portions will be conducted in private to safeguard national security and the ongoing legal proceedings against the surviving gunman, Naveed Akram.
This confidentiality means that some of the commission’s conclusions might not be disclosed for several years.
“The royal commission has made progress by considering the experiences of Jewish Australians and others who have faced anti-Semitism during the first series of hearings,” noted commissioner Virginia Bell.
In the lead-up to the attack, NSW Police were warned by CSG that a heightened atmosphere of anti-Semitism made a terror attack on the community likely, an interim report by the commission revealed in April.
Police planned to provide a high-visibility presence at the event, but they noted internally there was “no need to stay the entire duration” and ultimately only four officers and one area commander attended the event at various times.
Among 14 recommendations in the interim report was the need for tighter security arrangements at Jewish community gatherings in the future.
Other recommendations included implementing nationally consistent firearm laws and a gun buyback scheme.
It also recommended considering making the role of the Commonwealth counter-terrorism co-ordinator full-time and making the role of the Australia-New Zealand counter-terrorism committee clearer – including regular briefings to national cabinet.
The report also made five recommendations that were redacted from the publicly released version for national security reasons.
The second hearing block will look at the resourcing of counter-terrorism and the effectiveness of current powers, systems and processes of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
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