Bondi Beach massacre sparks online hate storm, report warns of normalised antisemitism

In the aftermath of the terrorist shooting at Bondi Beach, online platforms erupted in antisemitism and Islamophobia, according to a new report from the Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI).

Based on a month of data, the report describes a sharp escalation in hate speech and denial. It is dedicated to the victims of the attack, stating, “It was an attack on Australia and our way of life, but it was not random. It was targeted against Australia’s Jewish community, a community that has done so much for Australia, yet in the last two years has been living in fear.”

In an interview with JWire, OHPI chief executive Andre Oboler said one of the most striking findings was what he termed “Bondi denial”.

“It mirrors Holocaust denial and October 7 denial,” Oboler said. “We now see denial that the Bondi attack even happened, alongside claims that others were responsible.”

He said online commentary also sought to minimise the attack, arguing that Australians should “move on” because it was not important enough to warrant sustained attention.

 

Antisemitism surged after the attack

The report documents a sharp rise in online antisemitism following the shooting, combining both atrocity-related and general antisemitism. It identifies patterns of glorification, justification, minimisation, denial and distortion, closely echoing tactics long associated with Holocaust denial.

Some posts openly celebrated the killings. Others framed the massacre as deserved retribution, blaming Jews collectively for Israeli actions. Phrases such as “Perfect. Just deserts!” and “What goes around comes around” were common.

Oboler said similar dynamics appeared after October 7. “Part of Bondi denial is the glorification and celebration of the attack,” he said.

Justification often relied on Israel-focused narratives. The report notes that while anti-Israel rhetoric is common online, in this case it was used to rationalise violence against Jews in Australia.

“People justified it by saying Israel’s actions meant there was a right to resistance,” Oboler said. “In the comments we analysed, that ‘resistance’ clearly included murdering Jews here.”

Minimisation also played a role, with users arguing that responses to the attack risked being worse than the attack itself, diluting empathy and urgency.

Denial and distortion included conspiracy theories claiming the massacre was staged or orchestrated by Jews or Israel. Oboler warned that such claims fit a long antisemitic tradition of dismissing Jewish suffering.

 

Broader antisemitic abuse and tropes

Beyond the attack itself, the report found an “all-out assault” of unrelated antisemitic content in comment threads. This included Holocaust references, Israel-related abuse and traditional tropes such as claims that Jews control the media.

One post asked, “Who gives the worldwide media their printing orders?” suggesting Jewish orchestration of coverage.

The report also addresses racist anti-Zionism, which it defines as hostility towards Jews as a collective by declaring support for Israel’s existence unacceptable. Oboler said attempts to separate antisemitism from attacks on Zionism often collapse under scrutiny.

“To say Jews should stop being Zionists is like saying abuse of people who eat halal is fine if they just stop eating halal,” he said.

 

Islamophobia also increased

The report also documents a rise in Islamophobia, though Oboler said it was partly muted by the widely reported bravery of Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Muslim man who confronted one of the attackers.

Nevertheless, some content portrayed Muslims as a collective security threat, promoted calls to expel Muslims from Australia, and used slurs and dehumanising language.

Hate-laden memes and posts mocking Islam as a “religion of peace” were common, often intertwined with anti-immigration rhetoric. OHPI noted that even though one attacker was Australian-born, immigration-focused abuse still increased.

The report also identified disinformation campaigns attempting to discredit al-Ahmed’s actions by falsely claiming he was not Muslim.

OHPI found that comment sections on Jewish and Muslim Facebook posts showed almost identical levels of hate. On neutral posts, antisemitism reached levels previously seen only on dedicated hate pages before October 7, 2023.

 

Normalisation of hate enabled violence

A central finding of the report is that two years of unchecked antisemitism created an environment in which the attack became conceivable.

“The normalisation of antisemitism made the unthinkable possible,” the report states, by allowing perpetrators to imagine they would be supported or celebrated.

The report traces this normalisation to university campuses, imported online movements and the tolerance of aggressive protest and intimidation. ASIO warnings about antisemitism pre-dating events in the Middle East are cited, alongside concerns that the conflict provided cover for existing hatred.

Oboler said boundaries around acceptable speech had been pushed so far that “the Jewish community has its back to the wall.”.

 

AI and disinformation

The report highlights the role of generative AI in spreading falsehoods after the attack. This included fabricated images and fake profiles intended to suggest the massacre was staged.

OHPI testing also found that some AI systems incorrectly denied the attack occurred, due to flawed assumptions about coronial reporting timelines. Oboler said this revealed serious gaps in how AI systems handle recent and traumatic events.

 

Calls for urgent reform

OHPI presents a strong case for reforms across hate speech laws, online safety, security, gun control, charities regulation and AI oversight. It supports stronger enforcement against incitement, clearer application of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and early intervention against radicalisation.

Oboler also criticised social media platforms, particularly Meta, for raising thresholds that allow more hateful content to remain online.

“That decision caused real harm,” he said. “There needs to be accountability.”

The report warns that casual antisemitism often precedes violent extremism and that hatred directed at Jews frequently spreads to other minorities.

“Now is the time to reverse the normalisation of hate and make antisemitism and all forms of racism unacceptable in Australia,” the report states.

 

The full report is now available at ohpi.org.au.