New report gives voice to racism experienced by Australia’s Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, Arab and Israeli communities
The devastating impact of events related to the war in Gaza on Australia’s Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, Arab and Israeli communities has been detailed in a compelling new report from the Australian Human Rights Commission.
The report reflects the voices and experiences of hundreds of people from the affected communities across Australia as part of the most comprehensive report of its kind since the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent ongoing retaliation by Israel.
Titled The struggle to be seen, the power in being heard, the report is part of the Seen & Heard project undertaken by the Commission through dedicated funding from the Australian Government. The project’s aim is to better understand the effect on local communities of the war in Gaza, the associated humanitarian crisis and widening regional hostilities.
Based on extensive community consultations between February and August 2025, the insights shared with the Commission by project participants reveal the profound pain and distress caused by increased racism targeting affected communities. The report also reveals how racism has escalated in these communities.
The Commission is extremely grateful to all project participants for entrusting us with their stories and insights. We acknowledge their courage and strength in the face of the personal and collective trauma they’ve endured.
The report does not reflect experiences of Jewish community members following the horrific antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach in December 2025, as the consultation period had closed. The report was initially scheduled for release in December 2025 but was delayed following the Bondi attack.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman: ‘The increased fear, anguish and anger that people in these affected communities have been experiencing in the last 3 years has very clearly had an enormous impact on their wellbeing, their personal and professional relationships, and their sense of safety and belonging.
‘The people we’ve spoken to, the stories we’ve heard and the experiences and perspectives we’ve chronicled as part of this report paint a sombre, painful and frustrating picture of the impact here in Australia of the 7 October attack and the war in Gaza.
‘Some of these stories have been truly shocking. A Jewish student’s classmates rearranged their desks into the shape of a swastika. A dead kangaroo was dumped on the steps of a mosque. A Palestinian woman was abused in the street and accused of being a Hamas sympathiser. And people reported high levels of antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab sentiment in their workplaces.
‘The experiences of each person and each community are unique. However, common themes consistently emerged in relation to how racism homogenises, diminishes and silences communities as well as how it dehumanises and isolates individuals. Failing to recognise suffering, wherever it occurs, strips people of their humanity, and that dehumanisation is felt deeply by communities here.
‘These personal accounts are compelling because they’re a collective appeal for urgent action to address racism in this country. Indeed, this report underscores how the current hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran – that are also severely impacting Lebanon and other countries – have the potential to unleash racist behaviour here in Australia.
‘In terms of how we can address these experiences of racism, the Commission’s National Anti-Racism Framework has garnered widespread support from civil society and from the envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. While the Framework was delivered 18 months ago, the Australian Government has yet to commit to implementing any of its 63 recommendations.
‘Our diverse nation needs a much more effective response to rising levels of racism, so I urge the Government to see and hear the people and voices in this new report and take action to help Australia navigate the way to a better future for everyone.’
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