The Australian Government established the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion following the 2025 Bondi terrorist attack, in which the Jewish community were targeted in what was the most deadly terrorist attack on Australian soil. As Australia’s highest form of public inquiry, the Commission is examining the causes and impact of antisemitism on Australian society. Its goal is to recommend practical measures to improve public safety, strengthen social cohesion, and help ensure Jewish Australians can live free from discrimination and fear.
The Online Hate Prevention Institute has been retained by the Royal Commission as expert witnesses. Our CEO, Dr Andre Oboler, is testifying before the Commission on May 12th.
The Experience of Jewish Australians Online
OHPI’s evidence to the Commission includes analysis from the “Public Squares” project, undertaken with support from the Office of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism (ASECA). The project examined reactions and comments attached to major social media posts relating to the Jewish community. These included posts from the Prime Minister, government agencies, public figures, and mainstream media organisations. OHPI analysed the reactions to these posts, measured the proportion of antisemitic responses, and classified the different forms of antisemitism appearing in the discussion.
The project examined comments because comment sections now form a major part of online public discourse. Discussions attached to posts by political leaders, journalists, news organisations, and public institutions shape how events are interpreted and understood. OHPI’s evidence argues that these spaces increasingly function as part of the modern public square. The level of hostility within them therefore has direct implications for social cohesion and for the experience of minority communities participating online.
The data on antisemitism in Australia before and after October 7 2023 can be seen in the following reports:
- The Online Antisemitism in Australia 2023 Report (14 August 2023)
- Online Antisemitism Before October 7 (25 March 2024)
- Online Antisemitism After October 7 (25 March 2024)
- Responses to the Melbourne Synagogue Attacks in 2024 & 2025 (21 July 2025)
- Social Media and the Normalisation of Hate: October 7 Two Years On (13 October 2025)
- Bondi Report (14 January 2026)
- Australian responses to the attack on London ambulances (30 March 2026)
The analysis found substantial variation between platforms and posts. In some cases antisemitic comments accounted for under 5% of visible discussion. In other cases they approached half of all comments collected. OHPI also compared reactions to posts relating to Jewish events with comparable posts celebrating religious and cultural events for other communities. The comparison found significantly higher levels of derision and hostility directed toward Jewish-related posts.
The following passage discusses a particular aspect of the report, which compared the online reaction to the PM’s post about Passover with other, analogous posts about other religious holidays for other communities. This analysis demonstrates a greater amount of derisive and hostile reactions to the PM’s Passover message, as compared with the posts about other community holidays.
Analysis provided to ASECA excerpt:
152. While the above details show the data in aggregate, the level of antisemitism in the comments was not consistent and varied between 3.7% and 44.8% depending on the post’s content and the platform it was on. The report shows each post, provides an analysis of the reactions to it, a detailed dashboard related to the comments, and examples of the comments.
As part of our examination of ‘reactions’ we examined a range of additional posts by the Prime Minister that were unrelated to the Jewish community. Some were announcements in relation to policies and promises, others were greetings to different ethnic and religious communities for cultural and religious festivals. The report notes:
The 53.2% responses of derision is significantly higher than on similar posts for other communities posted around the same time. The percent of reactions that signalled derision was 27.8% for the Assyrian community, 24% for the Muslim community, 13.3% for the Vietnamese community, 8.1% for the Christian community, and 4.9% for the Orthodox Christian community.
It also provides the following table on angry reactions:
OHPI’s evidence to the Commission states that public online spaces require more consistent moderation standards and stronger staff training in recognising antisemitism. The submission also raises concerns that some comments identified during the project may involve unlawful conduct requiring investigation rather than simple removal from platforms.