Jewish Australians forced to hide identity due to abuse
One Jewish Australian now covers his kippah with a baseball cap after being violently abused while bystanders did nothing, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has been told.
The apparent normalisation of antisemitism and the silence that follows incidents targeting their community is the greatest disappointment for Jewish Australians.
A second day of public hearings by the Royal Commission on Tuesday heard more evidence about everyday targeting of Jews that escalated after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Nir Golan said he was wearing his kippah, a traditional Jewish skullcap, when he was approached by a man and abused on Sydney’s Oxford Street about 5pm on a busy workday that month.
Nir Golan giving his testimony
The man used racial slurs including “dirty Jew”, performed Nazi salutes and made a gun-like motion at Mr Golan’s forehead, with the encounter lasting a minute or two, he told the inquiry.
Only one person, an American tourist, attempted to intervene and was assaulted in the process, Mr Golan said.
“It was in broad daylight, there were many people around,” he said.
After the man left, Mr Golan said he broke down, started shaking uncontrollably and crying.
“No one came to aid, no one came to help, no one came to do anything,” he said.
Two accounts of verbal and physical abuse shared at the Royal Commission this morning.
The incident was reported to police, but Mr Golan said he was told a lack of CCTV footage meant there was little they could do.
He still wears his kippah, but now covers it with a baseball cap.
Many other instances of antisemitism reported to the inquiry were described as “casual”, often including references to Jewish stereotypes.
Casual antisemitic incidents may seem minor compared to physical violence, but they paint a broader picture of how prevalent the beliefs are, Natalie Levy said.
Three mothers shared their experiences of antisemitism at the Royal Commission this morning.
On one occasion, a colleague told her a company owned by South African Jews did not want to purchase an asset because they were “stingy”.
Other experiences related to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which followed the Hamas attack, with Jewish Australians being called “baby killers” and “genocide lovers”.
Israeli-born academic researcher Tali Pinsky said her family had faced personal criticism for Israel’s actions since she moved to Australia in March 2025.
In discussions with colleagues, Dr Pinsky said she was told the targeted attack on Jewish people at Bondi was terrible but also understandable, as there was a lot of hate towards Israel.
There was a “strong, almost singular focus” on the rights of Palestinians, compared to other humanitarian issues in China and throughout the Middle East, she said.
“Jewish and Israeli people are personally targeted and blamed for the actions of the Israeli government, in a way that the citizens of other countries involved in conflicts are not,” she said.
“I would never ask a colleague or a friend if they originate from China, do they support the (Chinese Communist Party).
“I would not fill the public space outside my office with posters of the map of China dripping in blood.”
The October 7 attacks marked a significant turning point for antisemitism in Australia, counsel assisting the commission Zelie Heger SC earlier told the inquiry.
Some 1,200 people were killed and another 250 taken hostage in the Hamas assault.
The commission will hand down a final report before the end of the year.
By Duncan Murray/AAP
