Dymocks drops author Matt Chun over antisemitic claims after Bondi
Australia’s major bookstore chain Dymocks has pulled all books by children’s author and illustrator Matt Chun from its shelves and website following accusations that his writings contain antisemitic views.
In a recent essay, Chun questioned the innocence of Jewish victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack. He also appeared to justify the violence by linking the victims to their perceived political affiliations.
Dymocks store (Photo Jessica Liny, Public Domain)
The decision, confirmed to Sky News by Dymocks chief executive David Allen, followed customer complaints and media reports highlighting Chun’s New Year’s Day newsletter, which has since prompted a police investigation into potential hate speech.
Allen described the Bondi attack as a heartbreaking tragedy that should never have occurred and said the company regularly reviews its inventory to reflect customer expectations and avoid association with divisive content.
This is the second time in recent years that Dymocks has taken such action. In November 2020, the retailer removed all titles by celebrity chef Pete Evans following public backlash over a social media post featuring the Black Sun, or Schwarze Sonne, a neo-Nazi emblem linked to far-right extremism and white supremacy.
Matt Chun (substack)
The Bondi shooting occurred on December 14, 2025, during a public Chanukah event organised by Chabad of Bondi and was described by authorities as a targeted terrorist attack against the Jewish community. Victims included Rabbi Eli Schlanger and a 10-year-old child.
Chun, whose legal name is Matthew Jones, responded with an essay titled “We don’t mourn fascists”, published on his Substack. In it, he described Chabad as a “Zionist Jewish-supremacist organisation” and accused it of supporting colonisation in Palestine.
He defended the attack on Schlanger by referring to the rabbi’s fundraising for the Israel Defense Forces and visits to the West Bank, while rejecting characterisations of the event as an innocent gathering and disputing claims that the attack was antisemitic.
Critics have described the remarks as antisemitic, arguing they dehumanise victims and tie their worth to political beliefs. Some have linked the language to a wider rise in hostile rhetoric in Australia in recent years.
Chun, an outspoken anti-Zionist activist, has previously been linked to boycotts, the doxxing of Jewish artists and sustained criticism of institutions he characterises as “colonial enablers”. He has received more than $42,000 in taxpayer-funded grants from Creative Australia for projects including a children’s book about policing.
Creative Australia has condemned Chun’s comments as offensive and confirmed it is seeking legal advice on whether the funding can be recovered, pending the outcome of an investigation by the NSW Police Engagement and Hate Crimes Unit.
