Aa
  • Read, Watch, Listen
  • TJI Series
  • Community Action
  • Events
  • Zedi
Follow us and continue the conversation
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • FaceBook
  • X
  • YouTube
Test yourself with the TJI Quiz!

Adjust size of text

Aa

Follow us and continue the conversation

  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • FaceBook
  • X
  • YouTube

Your saved articles

You haven't saved any articles

What are you looking for?

Original reporting, insightful analysis and diverse views, delivered straight to your inbox

  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • FaceBook
  • X
  • YouTube
Your support fuels our mission to inform, entertain and inspire.

The Jewish Independent is bound by the Standards of Practice of the Australian Press Council. If you believe the Standards may have been breached, you may approach The Jewish Independent or make a complaint to the Australian Press Council in writing at www.presscouncil.org.au. The Council may also be contacted on 1800 025 712.

  • Our Story
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Support us
  • Guidelines
  • Pitch your idea
  • Republishing us
  • Community Action
  • Our Awards
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • FaceBook
  • X
  • YouTube
Aboriginal FlagTorres Strait Islanders Flag

The Jewish Independent acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and strive to honour their rich history of storytelling in our work and mission.

© The Jewish Independent 2026All Rights Reserved
Website design and development by Your Creative, MelbourneTerms & ConditionsPrivacy Policy
HomeRead, Watch, ListenAustralia
AnalysisAustraliaWorld

Spiralling, exploding, out-of-control: Finding the words to describe antisemitism in Australia since October 7

Data from a range of sources, both within the Jewish community and beyond, paint a worrying picture of increasing antisemitism in Australia – online, in public spaces, in schools, and with individual threat and intimidation. How do we adequately address the problem?
TJI Wrap
Print this
A young girl looking at a sisng reading Stop Anti Semitism

Research points to a significant rise in antisemitism both in Australia and globally (Image: James McPherson).

Published: 8 May 2024

Last updated: 9 May 2024

Online antisemitism increases five-fold

The most recent Australian research released in March 2024 shows that antisemitism on social media increased five-fold following the October 7 Hamas terror attack, compared to the 11 months before, according to a study conducted by the Online Hate Prevention Institute and Online Hate Taskforce and released exclusively by The Jewish Independent.

Antisemitism increased on all 10 platforms examined but was significantly more visible on some social media sites compared with others. Professional platform LinkedIn, where many users typically avoid politics and controversy, experienced the most dramatic increase in antisemitism, most of it Israel-related.

Traditional antisemitism was the most dominant form, including tropes familiar since the Middle Ages: conspiracy theories alleging that Jews control governments, banks, media, and other institutions; blood libels; holding Jews responsible for killing Jesus; depicting Jews as devils; and claiming Jews are “not human”.

The researchers observed that general hostility towards Israel and Jews arising from the Israel-Hamas war has made antisemitism more acceptable and that social media influencers have jumped on the bandwagon of popular perception.

Racist Anti-Zionism: the newest antisemitism

Researchers Andre Oboler and Jasmine Beinart identified a new form of antisemitism which they call ‘Racist Anti-Zionism’. It is a line of thought that defines Zionism as evil and justifies harming anyone identified with Israel on the grounds that they are supporting oppression.

“Racist Anti-Zionism moves beyond opposition to Zionism as an ideology, and into expressions of hostility and incitement to hate and violence against people who identify as Zionists or have expressed positivity towards Israel,” the researchers wrote.

Racist Anti-Zionists don’t believe they are antisemitic, arguing that Zionism is not Judaism. “The vast majority of Jews are Zionists, so using “Zionists” becomes another way of targeting Jews."

Another significant stream in antisemitism related to Israel is comparing Israeli policies to Nazism, including images which conflated Netanyahu and Hitler or compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to the Nazi treatment of Jews.

Provocative anti-Zionist graffiti in Melbourne (Image: supplied).
Provocative anti-Zionist graffiti in Melbourne (Image: supplied).

Antisemitism in Australian schools

Another study found widespread antisemitism in Australian schools. Of 510 teachers and teacher managers in Australian public schools, the report found nearly a quarter have either experienced, witnessed or been informed of an antisemitic incident.

Extrapolating from the national representative sample suggests an average of 75,000 antisemitic incidents per year in government schools across the country.

Of those surveyed, 20% said they had been informed of an incident, 12% said they had witnessed one, and 1% said they had been a victim of antisemitism. Answers to the three questions were not mutually exclusive and 24% answered yes to at least one question.

The Antisemitism in Australian schools study was conducted in November 2023, although it was designed prior to the Hamas attack. It was commissioned by the Blueprint Institute, a Liberal Party-aligned think tank.

The researchers say extrapolating from the national representative sample suggests an average of 75,000 antisemitic incidents per year in government schools across the country. Incidents were more common in secondary schools than primary schools, and boys were the most common offenders. They focused on government schools for pragmatic reasons but noted there was evidence of similar cases in independent schools.

“A rise in antisemitism — or indeed the vilification or dehumanisation of any minority group — have been shown to be leading indicators of democratic backsliding, and deteriorating levels of social cohesion. These are issues of critical importance to all Australians, regardless of race, background, or religion,” read the report.

The report blamed the school environment for some aspects of antisemitism, observing apathy towards antisemitism amongst some members of the teaching workforce and poor pedagogical approaches to teaching the Holocaust.

It also blamed the influence of social media in spreading and normalising antisemitic content and, in some cases, cultural influences from home.

A recent rally against antisemitism on Australian campuses at Sydney University (Image: @togetherforisrael/supplied).
A recent rally against antisemitism on Australian campuses at Sydney University (Image: @togetherforisrael/supplied).

Early reports by the Jewish community

Preliminary research from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) recorded 662 antisemitic incidents in October and November 2023, compared with just 79 incidents in the same period last year.

Four physical assaults and at least 10 cases of verbal abuse were described in what amounts to a 738% increase, making it clear that October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza has had a measurable effect on the Australian Jewish community. The provisional figures involve incidents reported to the ECAJ directly as well as through its affiliate organisations and the Community Security Group.

The statistics include verbal abuse and racial slurs, bomb threats, physical assault, calls to boycott Jewish businesses, and graffiti, such as that reading “Jew free zone” and “Jews not welcome”.

President of the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors & Descendants George Foster said the impact of this symbolism on Holocaust survivors, and their children and grandchildren who carry the intergenerational trauma of their ancestors, is especially distressing.

“The overwhelming feeling of survivors who have shouted “Never Again” for many years is that “Never Again” is upon us today,” Foster wrote in a statement.

Graffiti painted on a suburban wall in Melbourne post the October 7 Hamas attack (Image: supplied).
Graffiti painted on a suburban wall in Melbourne post the October 7 Hamas attack (Image: supplied).
An antisemitic sticker referencing the Israel-Hamas war found on a car in February (Image: ADC).
An antisemitic sticker referencing the Israel-Hamas war found on a car in February (Image: ADC).

Australia reflects global Jewish experiences

Western countries experienced a massive increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in 2023, according to a report published by the University of Tel Aviv and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), with the majority of incidents occurring post October 7.

If current trends continue, the curtain may come down on the possibility of maintaining Jewish life in the public sphere in the West – wearing a Star of David, going to a synagogue or community center, sending children to a Jewish school, setting up a student cell on campus or speaking Hebrew.

"The world has seen the worst wave of antisemitic incidents since the end of the Second World War… The data collected from law enforcement authorities, governmental agencies, Jewish organizations, and media platforms tell a story of Jewish existence under growing threat," the report stated.

However, it noted that even in the first nine months of 2023, before the outbreak of the war in Gaza, there was an increase in incidents in most countries with large concentrations of Jews, including the United States, France, Britain, Australia, Italy, Brazil and Mexico. "This means that the war in Gaza helped spread a fire that was already out of control."

The report itself also emphasised that most Jews around the world have not been victims of antisemitic assault or harassment.

"The distress and danger Jews currently experience should not be overstated. This is not 1939, let alone 1942, not anywhere," the report stated. However, "if current trends continue, the curtain may come down on the possibility of maintaining Jewish life in the public sphere in the West – wearing a Star of David, going to a synagogue or community center, sending children to a Jewish school, setting up a student cell on campus or speaking Hebrew".

What can be done?

The Online Hate Prevention Institute report shows policies enforcing community standards works – platforms with strong moderation had less antisemitism and less virulent examples.

Researchers argue there should be a greater expectation on social media platforms to identify and counter antisemitism, including reporting mechanisms that allow users to identify specific antisemitic content, not just generic hate speech; specialist teams capable of identifying antisemitism and dealing with complaints; proactive automated removal of antisemitic content; and Holocaust denial being banned by all platforms.

They also argue governments need to get more involved in countering online antisemitism, a position reflected in the Blueprint Institute’s recommendations.

To counter antisemitism in schools, they support the use of student surveys to identify hotspots; industrial policies which place the onus on teachers; education programs for teachers focused on understanding antisemitism and Jewish history; improving Holocaust education; and including contemporary forms of antisemitism in the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education curriculum.

READ MORE

Antisemitic incidents in the West saw massive spike in 2023, report finds (Haaretz)

Antisemitism surging, report finds, prompting fear for future of ‘Jewish life’ in West (Times of Israel)

RELATED STORIES

‘I want to do jihad’: what a Sydney teen accused of terror offences allegedly messaged (Guardian)
Boys allegedly used messaging apps to discuss plans for an attack, but one of their lawyers says the texts were just ‘bravado’.

Most French Jews experience antisemitism, many remove mezuzah from their homes (YNet)
Disturbing survey conducted in France shows French Jews are subjected to antisemitism due to lack of public knowledge about the Holocaust or because of Israel; Results show that majority of French Muslims hold antisemitic opinions about Jews and 14% of all those polled under age 35 identify with Hamas.

Booking.com removes properties from website after the owner refuses to accept Jewish customers (Jerusalem Post)
Booking.com deleted all properties owned by the Serbian host after he refused to rent to Jews.

You might also like
  • From Bondi to the Tree of Life
    Gideon Cohen
  • Sydney Uni commissions independent review after ‘Globalise the Intifada’ campaign
    Deborah Stone
  • New evidence points to Iranian responsibility for Diaspora antisemitic attacks
    Colin Shindler
logomark.67a07ee3
We believe in the free flow of information

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, by using our Creative Commons licence

You might also like

    jiff26-cancelled.jpg
    ReflectionArts & Culture

    On despair: A reflection after watching ‘Cancelled’

    Deborah Stone 2
    Mothin Ali UK Greens
    NewsWorld

    British Greens equate Zionism with racism

    Ruth Eglash
    tame kostakidis west
    AnalysisAustralia

    How not to apologise

    Zac Klugman

About the author

TJI Wrap

TJI Wrap

TJI wraps consolidate essential news and analysis from multiple sources into digestable summaries.

More from the author

NewsAustralia

War crimes allegations against Australian IDF soldier

NewsWorld

Wave of attacks on Jewish sites sparks international alarm

AnalysisIsrael

Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran: Israel’s tense security landscape

AnalysisIsrael

Middle East on edge as Iran and Israel inch closer to another war