Lead

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, established after the Bondi terror attack that killed 15 people on December 14, has heard a series of deeply personal accounts of antisemitism in Australia. Witnesses have described feeling unsafe, facing workplace discrimination, and enduring online abuse, painting a picture of a community under pressure. The commission, now in its second week of public hearings, is examining both the circumstances of the attack and the broader spread of antisemitism that preceded it.

Coverage comparison

ABC Australia and The Guardian have provided extensive coverage of the hearings, focusing on the human stories and the wider implications for social cohesion. Both outlets have highlighted the emotional testimony of victims and the concerns of community leaders. The Guardian has additionally reported on the exclusion of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) from the hearings, a development ABC Australia did not feature in the provided material. ABC Australia has concentrated on the personal accounts, while The Guardian has balanced these with expert analysis on the evolution of antisemitism and the controversy surrounding its definition.

Key claims

The commission has heard from a 13-year-old girl who was at a bat mitzvah at Bondi Pavilion on December 14 when the attack occurred. In a recording played to the commission, she described watching "hundreds of people running away and screaming" and said she slept in her parents' bed for a week afterward. She told the commission that she "still don't like to see the bridge when go to Bondi" and that it "makes me feel worried to be a Jewish kid in Australia."

A Perth teenager, testifying under a pseudonym, described being bullied on the online game Minecraft because he was Jewish. He told the inquiry that students from his Perth public school directed Jewish slurs at him, and he provided screenshots of comments including "I hate Jews" and references to him as a "filthy penny sniffer." His father reported the incident to the school, which the boy's dad described as "extremely supportive," and the students eventually apologised.

Victorian paramedic Joshua Gomperts told the commission about being threatened with a hunting knife by a firefighter at a music festival, who said, "I would skin you the way my family skinned yours in the camps." He also described a patient in his 90s performing a Nazi salute and telling him he was an "old Nazi" who did not want a Jewish man to touch him.

Jewish author Michael Gawenda, a former editor of The Age, submitted evidence about losing friends and work opportunities due to what he called "Jew hatred." He said bookstore events for his book were cancelled after the October 7, 2023 attacks, and he was not invited to major writers' festivals. "For me, friendships ended," he said.

A Sydney Jewish mother, identified as Dina, told the commission that Jewish children face antisemitic abuse at school, see swastikas on walls, and witness classmates performing Nazi salutes. "They hear antisemitism around them all the time … they see the stickers … they see the graffiti, they know about Bondi. It's become part of their psyche," she said. Another mother, Natalie Levy, said her daughter sees swastikas "etched all around the school" and children saying "Heil Hitler."

The commission also heard from Dr Dave Rich, policy director of the Community Security Trust, who described antisemitism as "prejudice, discrimination, hostility or hatred towards Jewish people." He said old tropes, such as those in the fraudulent Protocols of the Elders of Zion, have morphed into modern forms of antisemitism. Rich said the IHRA definition of antisemitism is a "practical tool" and that its imprecision is its strength.

The commission has accepted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which describes "a certain perception of Jews which may be expressed as a hatred towards Jews." Commissioner Virginia Bell has flagged that the inquiry received submissions from some Jewish people who believe the definition could be "weaponised in order to suppress criticism of Israel." The commission has granted limited leave to the Jewish Council of Australia to ask questions about the definition.

Perspectives

Jewish community witnesses

Jewish Australians have presented a picture of rising fear and hostility. A 13-year-old girl no longer feels safe, a paramedic described being threatened and subjected to Nazi salutes, and a mother said Australia has become "a more hostile, more dangerous place for Jews." They call for recognition of the severity of the problem and for action.

Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan)

Apan was refused leave to appear before the commission, told it did not have a "direct and substantial" interest in the public hearings. The network argues that excluding Palestinian voices increases the risk of an "incomplete and polarising account" of antisemitism. It is concerned that the inquiry relies heavily on submissions that equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, saying "the definition of antisemitism is distorted and weaponised in attempts to silence those who criticise Israel."

Expert testimony

Dr Dave Rich of the Community Security Trust provided expert analysis on the evolution of antisemitism, describing it as prejudice built on stereotypes and tropes. He acknowledged that the IHRA definition has "edge cases" and is often misread, but maintained it is a useful tool.

Police action

Outside the commission venue, police issued a move-on order to a man wearing a T-shirt with a swastika and the slogan "Antisemitism. Proud to be accused. Speak up!"