The Australian, 24 July 2026
‘Dad, are we going to be safe?’: MP details son’s fear to antisemitism inquiry
From The Australian
Liberal MP Julian Leeser says his eight-year-old son no longer feels safe at Jewish events following the Bondi massacre and recalled “frightening” incidents where his electorate office was graffitied with swastikas, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard.
Mr Leeser, the first Jewish person to represent the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives from an electorate in NSW, fronted the royal commission on Friday.
In emotional testimony, he recalled his experience of the Bondi terror attack. On the day of the massacre, Mr Leeser was attending an outdoor Hanukkah event in northern Sydney where he had given a speech about how it had been “a tough year for the Jewish community”.
Holding back tears, he told the commission how his son, on hearing the news that Jews had been shot and killed at Bondi Beach, cried deeply.