Australia reports sustained rise in anti‑Jewish and anti‑Muslim hate after Oct 7 attacks

Research by the Tackling Hate Lab, a coalition of social‑science and data experts, analysed more than two million Australian social‑media posts and hundreds of verified offline incidents between 2021 and 2026. The study found a sharp increase in anti‑Jewish and anti‑Muslim hate following the Hamas attack on October 7 2023 and the ensuing Gaza war, with elevated levels persisting through March 2026.

Identity‑attack posts targeting Jews rose from an average of 0.3 per day before October 7 to 16.8 per day afterwards; attacks on Muslims grew from 2.8 to 42 per day. A further surge occurred after the Bondi terrorist attack, pushing anti‑Muslim identity attacks to an average of 1,323 posts per day in the week following the incident, later settling at around 224 per day. The research highlighted that a small cluster of accounts drives the majority of hateful content online.

The authors call for a permanent Observatory of Hate to monitor online and offline hate, provide early warnings, evaluate interventions, and improve accountability for governments and platforms. Their findings come as Australia’s Royal Commission into Anti‑Semitism and Social Cohesion proceeds and the federal government has appointed special envoys to address anti‑Jewish and anti‑Muslim hate.