Former senator and Olympian Nova Peris is among a group of former Labor figures who have broken with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's position by urging him to establish a Commonwealth royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack.
An open letter, signed by 21 people with longstanding ties to the Labor Party — including union figures and members of party factions — argued the "health of our democracy and our national security" is at stake if a royal commission is not called.
It calls for an examination of the "broader ecosystem of terror and hate" that saw the Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack on a Jewish festival on December 14, which killed 15 people.
"This was the worst terrorist attack in Australia's history on our soil," the letter states. "Australians who are Jewish were the main target of this attack, but all Australians are made less safe by the extremism that has inexorably escalated into lethal actions."
The letter includes signatures from several former Labor luminaries who have at times been critical of the government's relationship with Israel, including Mike Kelly, a co-convenor of Labor Friends of Israel, as well as Ms Peris, a patron of the Labor Israel Action Committee (LIAC).
"The government must call a Royal Commission into the causes of the Bondi Beach Massacre, the broader ecosystem of terror and hate and the capacity of the agencies to monitor terrorist threats," the letter says.
"Only a commonwealth royal commission can unpack the dynamics of Jew hatred, including aspects such as the social media threat, how hate and incitement is weaponised in Australia and how we can come together across the nation to defeat it."
Ms Peris, who is also one of more than 60 past and present Australian sportspeople to sign a separate open letter calling on the Prime Minister to establish a royal commission, has visited Israel since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people. She travelled as part of a delegation hosted by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).
The Gija, Yawuru and Gagudju woman has also signed statements under the banner of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem (IEJ), a pro-Israel organisation that says it exists to "oppose antisemitism and affirm Jewish indigeneity".
Speaking on Sunday, she said a royal commission was needed to ensure events like the Bondi attacks never happen again.
"If we fail to investigate with a royal commission now, honestly, rigorously and without fear we risk investigating funerals once again," Ms Peris said.
"This is not alarmism, this is responsibility and this is what we collectively as proud Australians, proud athletes, proud people that's represented this country have come together to give voice to those who are no longer with us and restore truth and dignity of this country."
Mr Albanese has faced sustained pressure to establish a federal royal commission, including from 11 families of Jewish Australians killed in the Bondi shooting, the federal opposition, and members of the crossbench.
Independent Senator David Pocock told ABC Radio on Tuesday a national response was required, arguing it "isn't just a New South Wales issue".
"While some of it may be a little bit inconvenient, potentially a little bit embarrassing for the government, this is a time to put that aside and actually say we want the deepest dive into the details of this," Senator Pocock said.
"Given this was the worst terror attack in Australia's history, I think it's really important that the government listens to and responds to the overwhelming community feedback."
Only two sitting federal Labor MPs —Ed Husic and Mike Freelander — have publicly supported calls for a Commonwealth royal commission. The Prime Minister has so far resisted those calls, saying the Commonwealth would cooperate with a royal commission established by the New South Wales government.
The federal government has also commissioned an inquiry into the national intelligence and law enforcement community, led by former ASIO director-general Mr Dennis Richardson.
When previously asked whether calls for a Commonwealth royal commission were misguided, Mr Albanese said: "My heart breaks for the families of the victims of the Bondi terrorist atrocity."
"My job as the Australian prime minister is to act in the national interest," he said last week. "It is in the national interest for us to do the Richardson review on national security."
