By Tess Ikonomou and Zec de Silva in Canberra

Changes to Australia’s hate speech laws in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack should be confined to religious discrimination, not other forms of prejudice, the federal opposition says.

Parliament is expected to be recalled before Australia Day to create new religious vilification laws in response to the allegedly Islamic State-inspired shootings on December 14.

The proposed federal legislation, which is still being drafted, aims to crack down on hate preachers who attack people of other faiths, particularly Jews.

The laws are understood to be a narrow package that won’t impose tighter limits on gender or sexual discrimination.

Asked if the legislation should also cover sexuality, Liberal leader Sussan Ley said that shouldn’t be the focus.

“That’s actually not what we would expect to see or need to see in any legislation that comes forward,” she told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

“Tackling hate speech is not a licence to go after free speech … (The bill) needs to be targeted to the threats that we face, and those threats are radical Islamic extremism and anti-Semitism.”

LGBTQ advocates have been pushing for the laws to be broadened to include other forms of discrimination.

The opposition leader also reiterated her call for a federal royal commission into the Bondi attack, which the prime minister is now widely expected to announce amid growing political pressure.

Anthony Albanese has previously rejected calls for a national probe into anti-Semitism in Australia, but has now softened his language.

Fifteen people were killed and more than 40 others injured after Naveed Akram, who is before the courts, and his father Sajid Akram, who died at the scene, targeted a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at the beach.

Former defence and national security leaders have joined forces to call for a royal commission to examine anti-Semitism and Islamic extremism.

In a letter to Mr Albanese, the more than 30 leaders, including former governor-general David Hurley, urged the prime minister to “act immediately”.

“Anti-Semitism and Islamist extremism pose serious national security challenges for Australia,” they wrote.

“They fracture social cohesion, fuel violence, and weaken our national resilience.

“At a time of growing risk of international conflict, anti-Semitism has already exposed Australia to foreign interference from hostile states and extremist groups.”

A “properly constituted and empowered inquiry” would have the ability to examine the actions of Labor itself, and its ministers, following Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack on Israel in 2023, the letter noted.

Mr Albanese has previously said a federal inquiry would take too long and has focused on a security services review under former spymaster Dennis Richardson.

The government will bring back parliament early in the coming weeks, likely before Australia Day, to implement legislative measures including strengthening hate-speech laws.

Frontbencher Kristy McBain left the door open to a royal commission when pressed on the government’s position.

“It’s really important that we move as quickly as we possibly can to deal with a range of those issues,” she told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

“It’s really important that we understand where these calls are coming for and what reason.”

Independent MP Allegra Spender, whose electorate includes Bondi, said the more conciliatory stance taken by the prime minister on the inquiry was a “positive move”.

“This is what really the community is asking for, and what I think I genuinely believe that the community, and particularly the Jewish community deserves,” she told ABC Radio.

“This is the largest terrorist attack on any part of our community and that we’ve ever had in Australia, and it is up to us to make sure we leave no stone unturned to learn the lessons of it.”