Antisemitism expert warns commission that anti-Jewish hatred has entered mainstream

British antisemitism expert Dr Dave Rich has delivered a stark warning to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

He declared that anti-Jewish hatred has surged into the mainstream and now threatens not only Jews but also the fabric of Australian society itself.

Rich, director of policy at the UK-based Community Security Trust, holds a PhD from Birkbeck, University of London, and is widely regarded as one of the United Kingdom’s leading authorities on antisemitism and political extremism.

He appeared as the sole witness on the final day of the commission’s first public hearing block in Sydney on Thursday 14 May 2026. Giving evidence by video link from London, Rich delivered a strong assessment of rising antisemitism.

The two-week hearing block at 83 Clarence Street examined the definition of antisemitism, its historical roots and modern forms, the everyday experiences of Jewish Australians, and hard data on its spread through institutions and society. Commissioners started Thursday’s session at 7am AEST to accommodate overseas witnesses and will not sit on Friday, 15 May.

Dr Rich defined antisemitism clearly as prejudice, discrimination, hostility or hatred aimed at Jewish people, organisations, institutions or anyone perceived as Jewish. He told the commission it appears in both violent and non-violent forms and draws on deep-seated stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jews.

He traced these prejudices through centuries of European and Christian tropes, including accusations that Jews act as greedy moneylenders, bear collective guilt for the death of Jesus, commit blood libel murders of children, and secretly plot world domination through the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion. These ideas have not vanished but have morphed into contemporary political language, he said.

Dr Rich placed particular emphasis on how ancient antisemitic claims now reappear in debates over Israel. He compared historical blood libels to modern accusations that Israel deliberately kills Palestinian children, citing cartoons that depict Israeli leaders drinking children’s blood. Conspiracy thinking lies at the heart of antisemitism, he argued, especially the false belief that Jews secretly control governments, economies, media and culture.

The expert condemned comparisons of Jews or Israel to Nazis as a post-Holocaust mutation of antisemitism. Such rhetoric, he said, weaponises Jews’ deepest historical traumas and turns them against the community itself.

The commission has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. This describes antisemitism as a perception of Jews that may express itself as hatred towards them, with attacks potentially aimed at people, property, institutions or religious sites.

Dr Rich strongly defended the IHRA definition as a practical, flexible tool for institutions and investigators, not a rigid legal code. He acknowledged edge cases will always spark honest disagreement but insisted the framework helps draw fair distinctions.

Under cross-examination by Peggy Dwyer SC, counsel for the Jewish Council of Australia, Dr Rich pushed back against claims that the definition is too vague and chills legitimate criticism of Israel. He conceded that accusations of antisemitism carry serious weight yet noted the IHRA text has cleared people wrongly accused in some cases. “If the definition is used correctly, it can benefit everyone involved in the debate,” he said. While free speech matters, he added, society should not hesitate to chill antisemitic expression.

Dr Rich also rejected arguments that the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism offers a clearer alternative. He described the IHRA definition as a practitioner’s tool developed for real-world use, in contrast to the more academic Jerusalem document.

The commission heard that holding all Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s actions represents a classic racist tactic. Dr Rich called collective guilt a fundamental building block of racism and noted that terrorists often invoke it to justify attacks on Jews while shouting slogans about Israel or Gaza.

On Zionism, Dr Rich rejected attempts to dismiss it as mere Western colonialism. He told the hearing such claims distort history, erase the ancient Jewish connection to the land, and can justify violence. Jews have lived continuously in Israel, and many early Zionists arrived as refugees fleeing antisemitism, he emphasised.

Tensions surfaced over whether efforts to fight antisemitism risk silencing criticism of Israel. The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network expressed deep disappointment after commissioners denied it leave to appear in this hearing block while granting the Jewish Council of Australia rights to cross-examine witnesses. The network argued that Palestinian perspectives are essential because critics often conflate opposition to Israeli policies and actions in Gaza with hatred of Jews.

The first hearing block ended after two weeks of powerful testimony from Jewish community leaders, Holocaust survivors, artists, students, teachers, researchers and other experts. Witnesses detailed incidents including Nazi salutes in classrooms and abuse hurled at men wearing kippahs.

The royal commission has adjourned and will resume public hearings on Monday 25 May 2026. The next block will examine circumstances surrounding the Bondi terrorist attack, including what intelligence authorities knew about the perpetrator and how they used that information.