It may be tempting for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to score political points from the prime minister’s belated announcement of a royal commission, but perhaps a moment of reflection would be more appropriate. As Natassia Chrysanthos points out, politics “must now be set aside” if Commissioner Virginia Bell is to satisfy the community’s weighty demands and expectations (“Albanese has lost face and given ground. Ley should follow suit”, January 9). That word “now” must be seen, sadly, as an indictment of the unwarranted personal attacks Ley has made on the PM since the Bondi terror attack. She and her cohort have weaponised an appalling situation when the country was at a sorrowful and shocked ebb, and that response was unworthy of someone in such high office. I hope that with the royal commission under way, the national focus can return to many of the other matters that concern the public, including housing, health, education, the muddled world of trade and international relations. Bradley Wynne, Croydon

Under extreme pressure, Anthony Albanese has given ground, but even that is not enough, with Josh Frydenberg, among others, questioning the suitability of Virginia Bell even before she was appointed as royal commissioner. Natassia Chrysanthos criticises Albanese, even though he has been urging calm and unity, unlike the opposition, which has shamelessly politicised the situation. It’s about time the blame and criticism stopped. We now have a royal commission, so let it carry out its work without partisan commentary. Max Redmayne, Drummoyne

Natassia Chrysanthos states that Albanese agreeing to a federal RC is a political win for Sussan Ley. There is nothing to suggest the author thought Ley’s motivations in calling for a federal RC could have included the fact that she considered it the principled and sensible thing to do. So, is Chrysanthos suggesting that gaining political advantage was Ley’s only motivation in calling for a federal royal commission into antisemitism? If so, does that mean Albanese’s only motivation in resisting an RC was political as well? Howe Synnott, Perth (WA)

Natassia Chrysanthos makes important points about the two-fold role of the royal commissioner. After investigating security provisions, Virginia Bell will need to revisit Australia’s view of the relationship between free speech and discrimination. In my view, one problem with the Segal plan to combat antisemitism was that it failed to get this balance right, with control over university and arts funding being contrary to lessons that many have learnt from the past. Premier Chris Minns’ action on protests has similarly caused disquiet. Commissioner Bell will need to initiate a clearer debate in the community. Susan Tregeagle, Yarralumla

I agree with your correspondents Genevieve Kang and Timothy Ashton, who question Frydenberg’s suitability as a political commentator (Letters, January 9). I recall that as treasurer he was so confident of delivering a budget surplus that he ordered boxes of “Back in the Black” coffee mugs as his political campaign slogan. Well, that went well, didn’t it? How big was Josh’s deficit? John Gelling, Merimbula

Rob Harris and Matthew Knott describe concerns about “Virginia Bell’s role in writing modern protest laws in Australia” (“PM bows to pressure for a royal commission”, January 9). Virginia Bell did not write any protest laws in Australia. She participated as a member of the High Court of Australia in a number of judgments concerned with the right of free political speech implied in the Australian Constitution. She is an outstanding jurist and excellent choice as royal commissioner. Christopher Birch, SC, Randwick

Whoa! Can we hold the hyperbole horses so we don’t gallop into a divisive royal commission? I’m concerned by remarks in Friday’s front-page story. History tells us this is not an “unprecedented” royal commission – consider the 1974 Royal Commission on Human Relationships, for example. Journalists have a responsibility to avoid inflammatory language such as an “explosion of antisemitism”. It is the role of the royal commission to ascertain the nature and prevalence of antisemitism. Between now and December 14, when Commissioner Bell reports to parliament, we must avoid making misleading claims. We have much to celebrate in Australia, including our multiculturalism and social cohesion. Sandy Killick, Glebe

A listening leader

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to reverse course and establish a royal commission into the Bondi shootings reflects the value of leadership that listens. Responding to widespread public concern about how this tragedy tore at Australia’s social fabric of peaceful multicultural coexistence was not a sign of weakness, but of democratic responsiveness. In an era marked by global instability, social division and relentless bad news, Mr Albanese’s willingness to adapt his position and assume responsibility offers a measure of reassurance. Flexibility in leadership should invite both scrutiny and respect, but it is preferable to stubbornness that ignores the electorate’s concerns. At a time when democratic norms elsewhere are being openly undermined, and as Australia grapples with bushfire threats and cost-of-living anxiety, this change of course provides a modest but welcome sense of steadiness. It suggests a leader prepared to recalibrate in the national interest and attempt to repair damage to social cohesion. Such responsiveness does not resolve tragedy, but it can help restore trust. Joseph Ting, Brisbane (Qld)

It doesn’t cut it, PM. You dismissed holding a federal royal commission for nearly four weeks. Then public opinion, spearheaded by prominent Australians, forced you to make a U-turn simply because you saw the writing on the wall, then claimed you took so long to “ensure you got it right”. People are not mugs. Had you admitted that your initial decision not to hold a royal commission was wrong, and apologised, you would have appeared a statesman. But the worst part of this debacle was the compounded grief the PM’s stubbornness caused the Jewish community as they mourned their families and friends. Albanese has given the Liberal Party a platform of righteous indignation. However, its own political opportunism in the wake of the Bondi massacre was as egregious as the PM’s lame excuses for finally acquiescing to a royal commission. Gerardine Grace, Leura

I remain to be convinced that the royal commission is the best option, but the prime minister has announced clear terms of reference and given ground to those who believe it will be some help. He has listened to opposing opinions and worked on a considered way forward to stop further unnecessary division. I hope the opposition does likewise and dials down the vitriolic attacks on the government. Denis Goodwin, Dee Why

There will be hate speech and gun control legislation within weeks, the Richardson report within months and the royal commission results by the end of the year. All evolved within 25 days of the dreadful events of December 14. We have arrived at an outcome appropriate for the circumstances. I hope we will soon see a reduction in the number of articles about backflips and musings about why it took so long (25 days!) with various twists and turns. David Hind, North Sydney

History wars

As a Jew who grew up in Israel in the 1950s, I utterly reject Tammy Reznik’s contention that anti-Zionists are necessarily anti-Israel (“Anti-Zionism does not have an issue with what Israel does but its very existence”, January 9). On the contrary, many of us are desperately trying to preserve Israel by restoring the values that defined the state in its early days: supreme morality, respect for international law and the sanctity of human life. Alex Yezerski, Castlecrag

Tammy Reznik’s opinion piece is an attempt to equate Jewish identity and Judaism itself with the state of Israel, the latter expressed as the manifestation of Zionist ideology. This is a questionable assertion. There are many Jews who are not Israelis, and many who are not Zionists. Some, in fact, fit precisely within that category of what Reznik considers “antisemitic” – they are opposed to Zionism, or are, as she puts it, “anti-Zionist”. Troublingly, Reznik seems to be playing into the hands of those who continue to assert that any legitimate criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel is, ipso facto, antisemitic, and, worse, somehow indicates tacit support for Hamas. The other unspoken inference that can be drawn from Reznik’s piece is that any Jew who opposes Zionism and who is not aligned with the state of Israel must be “self hating”. This is an old, insidious trope, and cannot remain unchallenged. Shaun Davies, St Peters

I am 75 years old, a healthcare provider, Jewish, who is still working because I can care for people. My parents escaped the carnage of World War II and my pregnant mother refused to go to Israel, which had endured a war after being attacked by five Arab armies after the UN voted for its existence. My mother was determined that I should be safe and live in a place of freedom and security. I was born in Sydney. My synagogue in Bondi Junction, where I am still a congregant, had a small brick wall and an open door. My last visit was through a corridor of security checks – why was I there, who was the rabbi, where did I live? I sat through the services wondering if the building might be the target of a terrorist attack. Could I bring my grandchildren next year? Was it safe? Now I know it is not. Me and my small family are no longer secure in our refuge. My parents’ spirit weeps. Robert Reznik, Mosman

Needing to employ security guards outside Jewish schools goes way back before October 7, 2023 (Letters, January 8). They were in place well over 20 years ago, so those who think the Hamas attack on Israel initiated the need for security need to look much further back for the answer. Dorothy Gliksman, Cedar Brush Creek

Murder and lies

The leader of our largest ally has shown himself to be not merely unhinged, but dishonest. In a denial of reality, US President Donald Trump and his minions are blaming the woman who was shot by an ICE agent eager to use his weapon (“ICE officer shoots woman dead in dramatic escalation of Trump crackdown”, January 9). They claim that she was the aggressor when the video makes it very clear that she did nothing to the ICE agents. The US government lies about its actions in Venezuela. Trump has withdrawn from 60 international agreements. He wants to attack two NATO allies, Canada and Denmark. Does Australia have what it takes to stand alone? David Ashton, Katoomba

The denialism started at the terrible scene of an ICE agent shooting a “good Christian” US citizen and mother of three as she tried to drive away from officers as requested. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, famous for shooting her own dog, then said on TV to all Americans that the deceased had run over an ICE agent and was a “domestic terrorist”. This was then reinforced by Trump, who described the killing as justified. These high-ranking government people turned the victim into the perpetrator. It’s obviously very dangerous being anywhere near US police, ICE or the Border Patrol. Their guns are cocked, ready to shoot at any provocation or dissent. It’s a case of not asking questions later. Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri (NZ)

The woman killed by ICE yesterday was a poet. She won the 2020 Academy of American Poets, University and College Poetry Prize at Old Dominion University. This was her bio: “Renée Macklin is from Colorado Springs, Colorado and is studying Creative Writing at ODU. Her poetry has been published in Metrosphere and Coronado Literary Review, and she currently co-hosts a podcast with her husband, comedian Tim Macklin. When she is not writing, reading, or talking about writing, she has movie marathons and makes messy art with her daughter and two sons.” Such a person does attempt to kill ICE agents. Norman Broomhall, Port Macquarie

Greed, power rule

Waleed Aly writes about Trump’s bunch of loyalist hotheads dutifully serving their supreme master (“Hotheads prevail in Trumps regime”, January 9). There can be no doubt that Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s longest serving aides, and one of the few to survive his first term, is one of the most combustible. He was the architect of Trump’s anti-immigration agenda and more recently, following threats to invade Greenland, he declared: “We are a superpower and we are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower.” But there is more to Trump’s power-hungry ambitions to dominate the world, and that is to run it like he is trying to run America as a business, despite the fact that he’s a proven failure having been bankrupted six times. Imposing tariffs on competitors, taking over countries for their resources in the name of fighting drug trafficking (Venezuela), or for national security (Greenland), has all the hallmarks of a 1980s corporate raid. In Trump’s sad world, exploitation, power, greed and notoriety are all that matters. Mary Carde, Parrearra (Qld)

Risky roads

Professor Raphael Grzebieta’s crusade to lower the NSW (and presumably national) road toll is certainly admirable (“I know how to lower the road toll, but politicians aren’t listening”, January 8). However, to suggest that the responsibility for road safety should be shifted “away from road users and towards road system designers and managers” strikes me as unrealistic. No matter what the speed limit is on any given roadway and how much is spent by governments on improving roads, there will always be an inherent risk in driving a motor vehicle, the precise degree of risk being determined ultimately by the driver. The same applies to many aspects of modern life, from adventure sports to pastimes as apparently benign as rock fishing. I have read that an average of one rock fisherman drowns each week somewhere in Australia. Is this because some fishermen ignore commonsense advice to wear a life jacket and not fish alone, or because the authorities don’t promulgate sufficient rules and regulations and build more high fences along our coastline? I agree with Grzebieta that many posted speed limits are totally inappropriate to the roadway in question. And there are other measures that could be taken, such as permanently removing habitual offenders from the roads. However, regrettably, I don’t believe even say, a doubling of the road safety budget would deliver a consequent 50 per cent reduction in road fatalities. Martyn Yeomans, Sapphire Beach

Snouts in troughs

The suggestion by your correspondent to change the rules of the handy accommodation allowance for MPs in the hope of alleviating the “whiff” of entitlement is commendably hopeful (Letters, January 9). I’d like to up the ante by wishing that every MP had the integrity to not rort every trough their snuffling snouts sniff out. Pigs might fly. Always first class, apparently. Suzanne Saunders, Wadeville

The issue of politicians “milking the public purse” via accommodation entitlements was raised a decade ago (“The tab for MPs living away from home in their own homes”, January 8). Questions were raised about then-treasurer Joe Hockey and a number of his fellow politicians renting rooms, and the garage, in a house in Canberra owned by Hockey’s wife. All were drawing on their politician’s accommodation “entitlements” in order to conveniently support the growth of the Hockey family’s assets. By comparison, Joe and Melissa Blow’s combined assets are considered when applying for any government benefits. Apparently, Hockey’s “lifters and leaners” comment was tongue in cheek. Nell Knight, Avoca Beach

Old gold

Melissa Hoyer’s reporting of Rachel Ward’s inspiring attitude to growing older powerfully reminds us that ageing, a synonym for life, is multidimensional (“Has Rachel Ward ‘let herself go’? No, she just looks her real age”, January 9). We can always grow. We can continue to develop insights into what matters most in life as we age, such as our relationships with other people and our world. We can also acquire the capacity to let go graciously and gratefully. Rachel Ward has challenged and dismissed the belief that appearances matter most in life. Paul Casey, Callala Bay

Go, Rachel Ward. In being true to herself, I’d wager that she is better mentally adjusted than the hordes of women who spend unaccountable amounts of money trying to battle nature (and we all know, nature wins in the end). Peter Butler, Wyongah

Concrete jungle

Your correspondent’s “cool home”, shaded by trees, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees lower than its surroundings is not just down to good luck (Letters, January 9). According to our ageing local plumber, this is a legacy of “British building and planning regulations” in our older suburbs – high ceilings, eaves, gardens, open spaces, trees and habitat. But with the assault of overdevelopment and overpopulation demanding our suburb become an expanse of concrete, we have treated our home to an odd 100th birthday present – an airconditioner. Ronald Elliott, Sandringham (Vic)

Could be worse

Burned in my memory of the doll hospital are the words of a sign on the wall behind the counter: “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet” (Helen Keller). A salutary lesson for all (Letters, January 9). Elizabeth Denny, Watsons Bay

Talk of the Sydney doll hospital reminds me of the song Are my ears on straight?, sung by a dolly that has just been mended and is wondering “Do I look all right to be taken home for Christmas Day?” Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills

• To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
• The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.