Royal Commission on Antisemitism hears testimonies of online bullying and hate incidents in Australia
Consensus Summary
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in Australia is hearing testimonies about rising hate incidents, including a 15-year-old Jewish boy from Perth who was bullied online in a Minecraft chat group by classmates using antisemitic slurs. The boy, who said he had 'no friends left,' reported the abuse to his school, which took action and received apologies from the students involved. The commission also heard from Julie Nathan of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), who shared her experience of receiving a sexualized antisemitic caricature and discussed a 316% rise in antisemitic incidents in 2024, followed by a 19% drop in 2025. Over 9,600 submissions have been made to the commission, with most identifying as Jewish. Experts testified about the normalization of antisemitism, particularly online, and the challenges in recognizing antisemitic tropes in public discourse. The hearings are ongoing, with debates expected over the commission’s definition of antisemitism and expert input from the UK.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A 15-year-old Jewish boy (referred to as ABB or 'the 15-year-old boy') testified at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion about being targeted with antisemitic slurs in a Minecraft chat group by students from his Perth public school.
- The boy reported receiving messages including 'I hate Jews' and 'rabid filthy rotten gut-wrenching grotesque rabbi yamaka wearing bank owning iron doming Hashem following Jew' in the Minecraft chat.
- The boy told his parents, 'I have no friends left,' and his father reported the incident to the school, which was described as 'extremely supportive' and led to the students apologizing.
- Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) reported a 316% increase in antisemitic incidents in Australia between 2023 and 2024, followed by a 19% decrease between 2024 and 2025, with 1,600+ incidents recorded in 2025.
- Julie Nathan, ECAJ research director, testified about receiving an antisemitic caricature with the caption 'Julie simply desires to be filled with Aryan seed,' describing it as 'horrifying.'
- The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is holding hearings in May 2026, with over 9,600 submissions received, mostly from Jewish respondents.
- The commission is expected to hear from groups challenging its definition of antisemitism and expert witnesses from the UK.
- The boy’s school reportedly told him to leave if he stayed near the group of students involved in the abuse for too long.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Royal Commission is in its second week of public hearings and has begun its sixth day of hearings as of May 11, 2026.
- The commission will sit until at least Thursday of that week.
- The boy took screenshots of the antisemitic comments, including 'filthy penny sniffer.'
- The family gave evidence using a pseudonym on Monday (May 8, 2026).
- The Bondi terror attack was mentioned as an example of an incident with multiple victims counted once in ECAJ’s statistics.
- Fifty-six witnesses were called in the first week of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
- The article mentions that schools now resemble 'prisons' due to increased security concerns following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
- A group of Year 12 boys reportedly shouted 'Hitler was right to kill them all' in the school, though the boy did not see them directly targeting him.
- Tahli Blicblau, CEO of the Dor Foundation, highlighted Western Sydney fireworks on October 8, 2023, as a pivotal moment in normalizing Jewish hate, rather than the Sydney Opera House protest on October 9, 2023.
- Most Australians cannot recognize antisemitic tropes, according to Dor Foundation research, making hateful language easier to normalize.
- Online posts and publications are not included in ECAJ’s annual report due to their overwhelming volume, described as 'uncountable like trying to count the stars.'
- ECAJ does not count pro-Palestine material as antisemitic unless it directly targets Jewish institutions or individuals.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states the Royal Commission is in its 'second week' of hearings, while NEWSCOMAU mentions 'last week' for witness testimonies, creating ambiguity about the exact timing of the hearings.
- ABC does not mention the 'prison-like' school security comparison, while NEWSCOMAU explicitly describes schools as resembling 'prisons' due to security concerns.
Source Articles
‘Got no friends left’: Jewish teen bullied while playing Minecraft
The royal commission heard the 15-year-old was subjected to antisemitic slurs while playing the popular video game with students from a Perth school.
‘No friends left’: Jewish 15yo targeted online
A Jewish teenager has revealed the heartbreaking words he uttered to his parents after kids from his school targeted him with anti-Semitic abuse on a popular online game.