Report details link between attacks on Jews and online 'spikes of hate'

Real-world incidents targeting Jews reinforce 'spiral of hate' online, royal commission hears Wed 1 Jul 2026 at 6:06am In short: A new report says anti-Jewish hate increased online both after October 7, 2023 and the Bondi Beach terror attack in December. The research from the Tackling Hate Lab mapped online anti-Jewish hate in Australia between October 2021 and March 2026. The research hub's director told the royal commission that real-world violent incidents targeting Jews have reinforced a "spiral of hate" online. Real-world violent incidents targeting the Jewish community have reinforced a "spiral of hate" online, a royal commission has heard. A new report this week mapped online anti-Jewish hate in Australia between October 2021 and March 2026, examining the relationship between online hostility and real-world incidents targeting Jewish people. The report by the Tackling Hate Lab at Deakin University, a research group uniting academics in social science, psychology and data science, found anti-Jewish hate increased sharply and persistently online after October 7, 2023. The Bondi Beach terror attack in December, where 15 people were killed, generated a further, smaller short-term increase in online-hate, the report said. Matteo Vergani, an associate professor of sociology at Deakin University and the director of the Tackling Hate Lab, was an expert witness on Tuesday at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. Dr Vergani told the commission the findings were particularly relevant for digital platform governance. "It's useful because it gives us intervention points. We know when to expect spikes of hate. We know when it's important to act before it happens," he said. The report determined that on average, when a physical act of violence occurred offline, the number of anti-Jewish posts on social media platform X increased by about 3.4 posts above the baseline level expected over the next 24 hours. The report suggested that media coverage of such violent incidents affecting the Jewish community attracted public attention, therefore creating opportunities for those with antisemitic attitudes to express their views online. "Real-world violence emerges as a stronger driver of online anti-Jewish hate," the report read. A number of social media platforms have been given leave to appear at the inquiry, including Meta, Google, TikTok and LinkedIn. X Corp and Telegram were among those who had not responded to the commission's request for information, while Reddit and Twitch pointed the inquiry to the organisations' social media policies which were publicly online. Counsel assisting Richard Lancaster said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant would appear to give evidence on what she perceived as regulatory deficiencies. This included the lack of a definition of online hate, the lack of a statutory power to create an online hate code and the need for reforms to the adult cyber abuse scheme to provide enforcement mechanisms. Adass firebombing fuelled conspiracies The report also examined the role of harmful conspiracy theories in amplifying and sustaining online hate. The co-authors analysed a conspiracy theory prominently shared on X following the Adass Israel Synagogue firebombing in Melbourne, which alleged the fire was staged by the Jewish community. The fire destroyed the synagogue in Ripponlea on December 6, 2024, with the Australian Federal Police previously saying police believed the attack was politically motivated and had links overseas. Three people charged over the firebombing remain before the courts. "In the Adass case, false flag claims did not simply correlate with anti-Jewish hate, but helped sustain and amplify it," the report read. "This conspiracy sustained anti-Jewish hate over long periods and was self-perpetuating." On Tuesday, the commission also heard from Moonshot, an organisation which is attempting to direct people away from violent and extremist content online. One of the tools the organisation uses is a pop-up delivered to people who use certain hashtags, search terms or otherwise engage with violent content online. Moonshot director Theresa Rajah told the commission the pop-up linked to a landing page where people could access tailored support services. "We're seeing a real sharp rise in the number of minors who are engaging with extremist ideologies and violence," she said. "Currently online there's no real prevention infrastructure that's providing young people with any kind of off-ramp or disruption to these particular pathways." The commission on Wednesday is expected to hear from additional expert witnesses, including a technology regulation academic and a representative from the Online Hate Prevention Institute.