When a Royal Commission Into antisemitism exposes the problem in real time

There is something I cannot stop noticing since the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion started: it has not only exposed antisemitism, but it has also brought it flooding into the open.

Every time I open social media and look at posts about the Royal Commission, or the media coverage around it, the comments are not just heated or political. So much of it is blatantly antisemitic, aggressively anti-Israel and, frankly, vile. The irony is impossible to ignore. The very reason this Royal Commission exists is because Jewish Australians have been warning that antisemitism is getting worse, more public, and more normalised. Yet since the Royal Commission began, the online reaction itself seems to be proving the point.

It is almost as though the Royal Commission has dragged the problem into full public view.

The Commission is hearing evidence about intimidation, abuse, fear, and exclusion. Jewish Australians are speaking about their experiences in schools, universities, workplaces, public spaces, and online. And while that is happening, beneath the articles, interviews and reports about antisemitism, there is another wave of antisemitism pouring into the comments sections for everyone to see.

Not empathy. Not concern. Not support for a community describing what it is experiencing. Instead, something much uglier.

This is not just people arguing about Israel or the Middle East. There is plenty of room for political disagreement, and there always should be. But what I am seeing again and again is something else entirely. It is comments mocking Jewish fears, dismissing antisemitism as fake or exaggerated, blaming Australian Jews for Israel, throwing around terms like “the Jewish Israel lobby” as though Jewish civic participation is something sinister, accusing Jews of power and control, and using Israel as the excuse to say things about Jewish people that should never be acceptable in this country.

There is also another comment I keep seeing. Around 117,000 Jewish Australians, roughly 0.46 per cent of the country, and the complaint is that such a small community is receiving too much attention. The implication is obvious: it must be because of “influence”, “lobbying” or whatever other tired antisemitic slur is being recycled that day.

And the sheer volume of it is what is becoming so alarming.

The hatred is not hidden anymore. People are posting these things openly and confidently, often using their real names. They are getting likes, shares and encouragement. In some comment sections, it feels endless. Every second comment seems to involve conspiracies about Jews controlling governments or media, attacks on “Zionists” that very quickly slide into attacks on Jews generally, or celebrations of hostility directed at the Jewish community.

What is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore is the role social media itself is playing in all of this. These platforms are no longer just reflecting public attitudes. They are shaping them, amplifying them, and rewarding the most extreme voices. The more outrageous the comment, the more engagement it gets. The angrier the post, the more visible it becomes. Algorithms push outrage because outrage keeps people online.

Because after a while, you start wondering how much of what you are seeing is even real. The same slogans appear over and over again. The same talking points. The same conspiracies. The same phrases repeated endlessly beneath almost every story involving Jews or Israel. Maybe some of it is genuine. Maybe some of it is organised activism. Maybe some of it is bots, fake accounts or coordinated campaigns designed to flood social media with hate and intimidation.

But in the end, whether some of it is fake or not almost becomes beside the point.

Because the impact is real.

Jewish Australians see it every day. Our kids see it. University students see it. Families see it. And the message being sent is pretty obvious. Speak publicly about antisemitism and you will be attacked. Say you feel unsafe and you will be mocked. Raise concerns and you will immediately be accused of manipulation, exaggeration or trying to silence criticism.

That is not healthy public discourse. That is intimidation.

And this is why the Royal Commission matters. The reaction to the Royal Commission is not separate from the issue being examined. In many ways, it has become part of the evidence itself.

If a Royal Commission into antisemitism cannot even begin without unleashing another wave of antisemitism online, then surely that tells us something serious is happening.

What worries me most is not just the extremists on the fringe. It is how normal all of this is starting to feel. Language and behaviour that would once have shocked Australians is now becoming routine online. Antisemitism is being dressed up as activism. Conspiracies are being disguised as political commentary. Hatred is being excused because it is aimed at “Zionists” rather than Jews, even though the line between the two is constantly blurred in these attacks.

And every day, the volume seems to grow louder.

That should terrify us. Not just as Jews. Not just as supporters of Israel. But as Australians.