Perth teenager’s online abuse among harrowing accounts at antisemitism commission

Jewish children have delivered some of the most powerful and distressing testimony to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, describing how abuse at school, online harassment and fears for their safety have become part of everyday life in Australia.

At hearings in Sydney on Monday, a Jewish teenager from Perth recounted how classmates targeted him with antisemitic slurs while playing Minecraft online.

The boy told the commission that other students repeatedly said “I hate Jews” and called him a “filthy penny sniffer”. He said the comments “made my stomach turn upside down” and left him feeling he had “no friends left”. His mother said the abuse shattered his confidence and isolated him from his peers, while his father described the pain of watching his son become withdrawn. The family reported the incidents to the school, which they said responded supportively and took steps to address the behaviour.

His testimony echoed evidence heard throughout the first two weeks of the inquiry from parents who say their children no longer wear Jewish school uniforms on public transport, hide Magen David necklaces and ask whether they are safe attending school, synagogue or communal events. Some parents have described children scanning crowds for exits and reacting nervously to loud noises, fearful of what many witnesses call “the next Bondi”.

The Royal Commission was established by the Albanese Government after the Bondi Beach terror attack in December 2025, in which 15 people were murdered during the Chanukah by the Sea celebration at Bondi Beach.

Now in its second week of public hearings, the inquiry is examining the nature and extent of antisemitism in Australia and the effectiveness of responses by governments, schools, universities, workplaces, police and social media platforms.

Monday’s proceedings also featured evidence from Julie Nathan, research director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Nathan presented data showing that more than 1,600 antisemitic incidents were recorded in Australia in 2024, a 316 per cent increase on the previous year. She told the commission that many Australians were unable to recognise classic antisemitic tropes and warned that ideas once confined to extremist fringes had entered mainstream discourse. Nathan also described receiving a disturbing antisemitic caricature in the mail.

Melbourne musician Joshua Moshe gave some of the most emotionally charged evidence of the day. He said that after publicly expressing support for Israel, he was doxxed, removed from his band, subjected to a torrent of abuse and saw his family’s shop vandalised. He told the commission that posters were put up accusing him of supporting genocide and that venues were pressured not to work with him.

Rabbi Daniel Rabin of Caulfield Hebrew Congregation said visibly Jewish Australians regularly face hostility, including eggs being thrown at congregants and antisemitic slurs being shouted in the street. He told the commission that some members of his congregation were questioning whether there was a long-term future for Jewish life in Australia. He also noted that observant Jews can face practical difficulties reporting incidents that occur on Shabbat because they do not use phones or electronic devices during the Sabbath.

Counsel assisting the commission said more than 9,600 submissions have been received, with the majority from Jewish Australians. This represents one of the largest community responses to any recent federal inquiry, amounting to submissions from well over five per cent of Australia’s Jewish population.

Hearings in this first public block are scheduled to continue until at least Friday, 15 May 2026.

Tomorrow, the commission is expected to hear from Andrew Markus, Emeritus Professor in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at Monash University; Andre Oboler, chief executive of the Online Hate Prevention Institute; Shirley Leader of the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia; and Michele Goldman, chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.