Jews tell antisemitism inquiry of surge in hate before Bondi Hanukkah massacre

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- A wide-ranging Australian inquiry examining antisemitism in the country after a massacre at a Hanukkah celebration heard Monday from Australian Jews who said escalating hatred has left them fearful and vulnerable.Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at the celebration on Bondi Beach in December. Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of carrying out the massacre with guns they owned legally, in a country with tight controls on firearms. The attack, which followed a wave of separate antisemitic crimes in Australia, was inspired by the Islamic State group, authorities said.The mass shooting prompted a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, the highest form of inquiry in Australia, that began public hearings in Sydney on Monday. The two-week sitting is due to scrutinize the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in Australia’s institutions and society.Further hearings this year will examine other topics before the commission publishes its final report in December.“The sharp spike in antisemitism that we’ve witnessed in Australia has been mirrored in other Western countries and seems clearly linked to events in the Middle East,” said Commissioner Virginia Bell. “It’s important that people understand how quickly those events can prompt