Sports figures urge national inquiry after Bondi attack
Call from athletes
More than 60 current and former Australian athletes have signed an open letter urging the federal government to establish a Commonwealth royal commission into antisemitism and the circumstances surrounding the Bondi attack, according to reporting by ABC News journalists Shannon Corvo, Andi Yu and Paulina Vidal.
Those who added their names include Nova Peris, Jess Fox, Ian Thorpe, Lleyton Hewitt, Sam Newman, Isaac Heeney, Dawn Fraser and Sally Pearson, spanning multiple generations and sporting codes.
In the letter, the athletes argue that a federally led inquiry is necessary to properly examine the broader environment in which the attack occurred, warning that social cohesion and public safety are at risk without national oversight.
Pressure on political leadership
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has so far declined to support a federal royal commission, instead endorsing a state based inquiry. The athletes’ letter directly challenges that position, urging the prime minister to reconsider.
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It offers condolences to the families of the 15 people killed in the Bondi attack, including “10 year old Matilda, whose smile we will never forget”.
The letter states that the December 14 attack followed more than two years of escalating extremism, intimidation and unchecked radicalisation within Australia.
Call for a national response
“We call on the Prime Minister and the Australian Government to show decisive national leadership by confronting extremism and terrorism in all its forms, without fear or hesitation,” the letter says.
It also highlights what the signatories describe as unprecedented harassment, intimidation and violence directed at the Australian Jewish community since October 7, 2023.
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“This is a national crisis, and it demands a national response,” the letter adds.
Voices from Bondi
Speaking to reporters outside the Bondi Pavilion, former Hockeyroo Nova Peris said the purpose of a royal commission was to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“If we fail to investigate with a royal commission now, honestly, rigorously and without fear, we risk investigating funerals once again,” she said.
Olympic swimming legend Dawn Fraser also addressed members of the Jewish community, saying “we failed you”, and adding that she had never witnessed such levels of hatred and division in Australia during her lifetime.
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Broader significance
Former AFL player Gerard Healy said the letter emerged from discussions among sports leaders who believed a federal inquiry was the only response proportionate to the scale of the attack.
“I think if we all just stay in our lane when there’s such a huge crisis, then you have to ask whether you’re turning a blind eye,” he said.
The intervention by athletes comes as Australia continues to honour victims and first responders at public events, including major sporting fixtures, underscoring how the impact of the Bondi attack has extended well beyond politics and into national life.
Sources: ABC News
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