Australia’s leading pro-Palestine activist group, the Palestine Action Group (PAG), has expressed frustration after being largely excluded from full participation in the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission, a public inquiry chaired by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell. PAG sought a more substantial role in the commission’s hearings but was granted permission to submit only one witness statement and conduct a single day of cross-examination.
The commission was established following a surge in antisemitic incidents linked to heightened tensions after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths. PAG held weekly protests against Israel for more than a year in response to the attacks but accused the inquiry of sidelining their perspective. In their limited appearance, PAG’s legal team cross-examined David Ossip, then head of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, focusing on the timing and scale of Israel’s military response in Gaza.
PAG spokespersons described the inquiry as a "show trial," accusing it of conflating opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza with antisemitism and criticizing the commission for restricting their ability to respond to allegations made against the Palestine solidarity movement. Organiser Josh Lees highlighted the group’s repeated but unsuccessful attempts to engage more fully with the inquiry, including efforts to cross-examine additional witnesses. PAG has also claimed it was instructed not to share its witness statement publicly.
The group has announced plans for a rally on October 11 in Sydney’s Hyde Park, marking "three years of genocide and resistance." This event will coincide with simultaneous demonstrations across other Australian cities and follows the three-year commemorations of the October 7 attack observed by Jewish and Israeli communities. Among PAG’s demands at the rally are the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman, investigations in Australia into alleged war crimes by Israeli Defence Force personnel, and the dropping of criminal charges against protesters involved in previous demonstrations earlier this year.
Critics of the inquiry, including several Jewish community leaders, senior judicial figures, and politicians, proclaimed the commission’s failure to call protest leaders as witnesses a significant shortcoming. Former disability royal commission chair Ronald Sackville described the inquiry’s treatment of protest-related issues as lacking depth, while senior Jewish MP Julian Leeser warned that not holding protesters to account could embolden further antisemitic behavior. Leeser also disputed portrayals of PAG as non-violent, accusing the group’s leadership of endorsing calls for an "intifada" and the destruction of Israel, as well as holding antagonistic views toward women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Students for Palestine organizer Yasmine Johnson was among the few pro-Palestine advocates to testify during the inquiry, addressing allegations of antisemitism on university campuses. Johnson denied that student activists engaged in racist or antisemitic behavior while defending contentious slogans referencing the intifada, though she stated her group condemned violence and did not support attacks based on religion or ethnicity. Sackville identified the commission’s omission of a thorough examination of attacks on Jewish individuals as a notable gap.
Public hearings for the royal commission concluded last month. Since then, PAG representatives have reported no further contact from the commission. The group remains committed to opposing what it describes as efforts by pro-Israel advocates to silence criticism of Israeli military actions and restrict public protest against genocide.