The Online Hate Prevention Institute is a world leader in combating antisemitism on the Internet.

Our CEO, Dr Andre Oboler, is the youngest person appointed by the Israeli Government as a co-chair of the Global Forum to Combat Antisemitism. Along with Adv David Matas from Canada he has headed the Global Forum’s activities in relation to online antisemitism for the past five years. Dr Oboler has also presented on online antisemitism for the World Jewish Congress when it met in Hungary, and has prepared material used by the Antisemitism Department of the World Zionist Organisation. He served as an expert on online antisemitism for the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism, presenting at their conference in the Canadian Parliament.  His testimony before a special hearing into antisemitism by the Italian Parliament led to changes to Italian law.

In the last 12 months OHPI has played a significant role in combating antisemitism on the Internet, and OHPI’s ongoing work will significantly empower the Jewish community in general and the Jewish community in Melbourne in particular. Here is some of what we are currently working on, and what did just in the last 12 months:

• A major event on August 31st called “It’s Happening” saw the launch of a booklet guiding people in how they can both respond to a variety of flavours of antisemitism (when it is safe to do so), and gives step by step instruction to help with reporting on Facebook – a significant asset after recent changes by Facebook that altered the process. A small number of free copies of the booklet have been distributed in the community, and we hope to make many more freely available to the community soon. An eBook version will soon be available for sale globally with proceeds supporting further work.
• The “It’s Happening” event also saw the Beta-launch of “Fight Against Hate”, an online system where people can register the items they report to Facebook and flag at YouTube. The system monitors how the platforms respond making them publicly accountable. It also tracks the level of antisemitism including the prevalence of different types of antisemitism. The software is endorsed by the Israeli Government and will feature in major announcements at the Global Forum to Combat Antisemitism Conference in May 2015. Data put in the system by members of the local community are directly assisting with this effort.
• We exposed the link between rising antisemitism in social media and the war plans of Hamas during the recent Gaza conflict in an article published in The Australia. The article also exposed Hamas efforts to manipulate casualty figures in order to make antisemitic responses seem more reasonable. The article significant shifted the debate in Australia and globally.
• Our work more generally during the Gaza conflict was covered by the Australian Jewish News.
• Our efforts let to the closer of a Facebook page calling for the abducted Israeli boys to be killed.
• A report into 60 minutes showed a high level of antisemitism in the comments on their Facebook page and serious lack of moderation by the 60 minutes staff.
• OHPI worked, mostly behind the scenes, to convince the Asylum Seeker Resource Center to reverse course on their posting of an antisemitic cartoon during the Gaza conflict.
• We released a free guide on reporting antisemitism on Facebook
• We assisted “They Can’t” whose Facebook access was wrongly suspended by Facebook, we has these suspensions overturned and secured an apology for them
• We had Holocaust denial pages on Facebook closed
• We participated in steering group meetings with the Israel Government in relation to the 2015 meeting of the Global Forum to Combat Antisemitism
• We have monitored the far-right Golden Dawn party from Greece and their efforts to use social media to gain a foothold in Australia.
• Efforts by OHPI prevented antisemitic cartoon becoming a major part of mainstream online internet culture.

Our activities prior to this year can be seen in our 2013 Annual Report.