The third week of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion focused on online hate speech and its link to antisemitic violence. Jewish witnesses shared experiences of abuse, and experts called for stronger regulation of social media platforms.
The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has concluded its third week of public hearings, zeroing in on the role of online hate in fueling antisemitic violence.
During the hearings, which followed weeks of private testimony, experts and community leaders warned that Australia is experiencing an unprecedented era of toxic and caustic online hate speech. The inquiry heard that authorities are struggling to police antisemitic violence online due to unregulated social media platforms, which allow harmful content to spread rapidly. Witnesses shared harrowing accounts of abuse and threats directed at them and their families, highlighting the urgent need for stronger regulation and enforcement.
Prominent Jewish Australians detailed the personal toll of online antisemitism. Sarah Schwartz, director of the Jewish Council of Australia, testified that she faces constant online abuse for her pro-Palestinian advocacy, including being branded a traitor. She criticized the political manipulation of the Bondi shooting, which she said scapegoated Palestinian and Muslim communities. She emphasized that the Jewish Council rejects antisemitism but insists that criticism of Israel, particularly its government's actions, is not inherently antisemitic.
Tahli Blicblau, CEO of the Dor Foundation, described a disturbing comment suggesting that disused oil refineries be repurposed as makeshift concentration camps, which remained live on a platform despite multiple reports. Labor MP Josh Burns, whose electorate office was attacked in June 2024, noted an us-and-them narrative online that paints all Jewish Australians as loyal to Israel's actions in Gaza. He said this leads to false accusations that he celebrates the deaths of Palestinian children.
Burns also highlighted the compounded abuse his non-Jewish partner, Victorian MP Georgie Purcell, receives, laced with misogyny. Former Westpac co-chief executive Steven Lowy, son of billionaire Frank Lowy, testified that he employs a personal security team to monitor online threats to his family. In an 18-page submission, Lowy revealed that over a four-week period, about 1,500 posts were flagged and 40 people referred to police.
He called for increased police powers in every state to protect Jewish Australians and communal life. Another witness, Arsen Ostrovsky, described the aftermath of the Bondi massacre, where he was shot in the head and lay bleeding on the grass. His daughter, aged nine, who grew up mainly in Israel, now feels safer there even during wartime than in Australia. Ostrovsky noted that his daughter must pass through multiple layers of security to attend school.
Images of his injuries were used in online conspiracy campaigns denying the attack. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told the inquiry that technology has never been more powerful, yet guardrails have never been weaker. She detailed the commission's legal battles with X owner Elon Musk over gruesome footage of the Bondi massacre that remained on the platform, forcing families of the victims to view it. The commission took a trio of legal actions to remove the content.
Inman Grant stressed that while the platforms provide unprecedented connectivity, they also amplify hate and violence. The inquiry continues to examine the balance between free speech and safety, with witnesses and commissioners seeking effective solutions to curb online antisemitism and protect vulnerable communities
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