Georgie Purcell facing antisemitic and misogynistic abuse due to having Jewish partner, commission hears
Summary
The royal commission investigating antisemitism in Australia reported that witnesses have faced serious threats and abusive messages online. Labor MP Josh Burns and his partner Georgie Purcell described receiving hateful messages combining antisemitism and misogyny. Research showed that hateful speech targeting Jewish and Muslim communities spikes after violent events and spreads quickly on social media.Key Facts
- Witnesses at the royal commission into antisemitism have been subjected to threatening and hateful abuse online.
- Labor MP Josh Burns, who is Jewish, and his partner Georgie Purcell, who is not Jewish, have both received many abusive messages.
- Abuse toward Purcell often combined antisemitism with sexist and violent language because she is a woman.
- After the Bondi terror attack, hate speech against Muslims spiked significantly, while antisemitic hate rose slightly.
- Evidence showed hateful content targeting Jews was low before the Hamas attack on Israel but increased afterward and has remained high.
- The commission heard that social media platforms like Instagram could improve safety to better protect users from abuse.
- The Dor Foundation reported hundreds of abusive social media posts containing calls for violence, Holocaust glorification, and conspiracy theories.
- Research indicates that real-world violent events trigger surges in online hate speech targeting minority groups.
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