The Australian, 27 May 2026
Holocaust denial, death threats directed at royal commission witnesses
By James Dowling
From The Australian
Dor Foundation CEO warns online attacks confirm 'vital' need for inquiry
More than a thousand hateful or antisemitic messages have been directed at witnesses appearing before the Bondi royal commission this month, according to a Jewish non-profit which handed over its findings to authorities.
The Dor Foundation, whose chief executive Tahli Blicblau gave evidence to the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission, released on Wednesday an analysis of online hate directed at witnesses from the first hearing block, in which 74 individual witnesses testified.
The Dor Foundation said it identified more than a thousand offensive posts and replies on Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube between May 4 and 25. One of those targeted was an anonymous teenage girl who detailed the antisemitic bullying she faced in school.
The “most egregious examples” were passed to authorities, it said, including eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant and the royal commission.
Royal commissioner Virginia Bell on Tuesday warned she was “keeping a close eye” on potential witness intimidation and reprisal, including through online commentary, which the Dor Foundation said its referral had prompted.
