The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion began a new series of public hearings in Melbourne on Sunday to examine campus safety [1].

These proceedings signal a shift in the commission's focus toward the higher education sector. The hearings aim to determine why Jewish students feel unsafe and to assess how universities have responded to antisemitic incidents on their campuses [1, 4].

The Sunday session marked the start of the fourth block of hearings [1]. This specific phase involves two weeks of testimony in Melbourne [2]. The commission's broader schedule of public hearing blocks runs from late June through the end of August 2026 [3].

Testimony has already highlighted the severity of the environment for some students. One Jewish student described an exhausting life on campus, reporting that they were called a "baby killer" and a "genocide supporter" [2]. Such accounts are central to the commission's effort to understand the gap between university policy and the lived experience of Jewish staff and students [4].

Beyond individual testimonies, the commission is investigating systemic failures within the academic sector. Reports indicate that Australian universities have failed to agree on a consistent definition of antisemitism, which complicates the enforcement of safety protocols [3].

Caleb Bond said that universities are going to have to "front up" to a Royal Commission about why Jewish students feel unsafe on campuses [5].

“Universities are going to have to “front up” to a Royal Commission about why Jewish students feel unsafe on campuses.”

The Royal Commission's focus on universities suggests that the Australian government views campus environments as a critical flashpoint for social cohesion. By investigating the lack of a unified definition of antisemitism, the commission is addressing a systemic vulnerability where academic freedom may be clashing with student safety and hate-speech protections.