Victorian Multicultural Commission forced to change charter after antisemitic statements

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A Melbourne Jewish community advocate has secured changes to the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC)’s charter. The changes follow a legal complaint over antisemitic social media posts by a former commissioner.

The case forms part of a broader series of actions targeting hate speech in Victoria. Menachem Vorchheimer brought proceedings under the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 after posts by then commissioner Mohamed Mohideen depicted Jews using offensive stereotypes, including claims that Jews are “the devil” and have horns. The matter was resolved at a compulsory conference before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in December 2025, with the Commission agreeing to amend its charter, an outcome that has only now been made public.

Menachem Vorcheimer

The revised charter now makes explicit that publishing material which demeans or dehumanises people on the basis of race or religion is inconsistent with the Commission’s standards, reinforcing expectations for those in public roles.

The case is one of several pursued by Vorchheimer amid rising antisemitism in Victoria. In a separate ruling earlier this year, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found that a Melbourne activist breached the same legislation by leading chants of “All Zionists are terrorists” at pro-Palestinian rallies.

The tribunal accepted that, in the Australian context, such language could be understood as targeting Jewish people, noting the strong association between Zionism and Jewish identity among ordinary participants. It found the chant was likely to incite hatred and did not fall within protections for political expression.

That case was also initiated by Vorchheimer, who argued the slogan dehumanised Jewish Australians and blurred any distinction between political views and identity. He has consistently maintained that terms such as “Zionist” are often used as a proxy for “Jew” in public demonstrations. (jwire.com.au)

Vorchheimer said he had initially raised concerns about the commission matter with the Victorian government, including Multicultural Affairs Minister Ingrid Stitt, but did not receive a response before taking legal action.

The developments come against a backdrop of heightened tensions following the October 7 attacks; the Bondi Beach massacre; and the war in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, with a marked increase in reported antisemitic incidents across Australia. Legal experts say the recent tribunal decisions, together with the VMC charter amendment, provide clearer guidance on the limits of public expression and the responsibilities of both activists and public officials.

While the Commission did not admit liability, the agreed changes represent a tangible outcome from the complaint and underscore the growing role of legal avenues in addressing antisemitic conduct in public life.