/qnotables26/ - ===Q Notables 2026===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24831632 (161120ZJUL26) Notable: University defends action on alleged Nazi salute, pro-Palestine encampment - Australia's Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion heard Monash University vice-chancellor Sharon Pickering defend her institution's response to pro-Palestinian protests, saying non-student protesters were removed, CCTV was installed and protesters were warned they could face disciplinary action over slogans such as "globalise the intifada" and "from the river to the sea". Australian National University interim vice-chancellor Rebekah Brown apologised to Jewish staff and students, acknowledging failures in the university's handling of its 2024 encampment. The commission also heard ANU cleared two students accused of making a Nazi salute and Hitler moustache gesture after internal investigations found the available evidence did not substantiate the allegations. Both universities have since strengthened protest and campus conduct policies.

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>>74971

University defends action on alleged Nazi salute, pro-Palestine encampment

Michael Bachelard - July 16, 2026

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When Monash University vice chancellor Sharon Pickering first heard students were planning a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on her campus in April 2024, she was on a flight stopover at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

“Fortunately, I had Wi-Fi,” she told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on Thursday. “I sat in the lounge at JFK, and I watched the police come onto campus at Columbia [University], and I watched what happened. I needed to get home.”

On the fourth day of the commission’s scrutiny of Australian universities, Pickering’s evidence suggested she did things differently to some of her colleagues.

When she became aware non-students were on campus in the 40-tent encampment – and at pro-Israel counter-protests – Pickering had them removed using existing powers to get police to issue exclusion orders.

Monash set up CCTV cameras, and Pickering declined to negotiate directly with the protesters, insisting they go through the democratically elected student union –which they did not do.

When she saw an Instagram post saying “Zionists are not welcome on campus” she judged it was a “watershed” – that the words of the protest had moved from simply causing “offence ... to real harm”.

The university made it clear to protesters in a statement that it would “not tolerate thinly disguised antisemitism”.

When it came to the controversial chants of “globalise the intifada”, and “from the river to the sea”, Pickering, a criminologist by training, said she had sought advice, then issued a warning to protesters that they faced investigation and possible sanction if they used them.

“There had been increasing, what I’m calling the atmospherics of hostility on campus, and we needed to calm things down,” Pickering told the commission on Thursday.

“What you’re contending with is, where are the justifiable limitations in a real community with real people, not as a legal abstract argument.

“The encampment had brought a level of hostility that was unacceptable … so we worked really hard with student organisations, the police, with our community … We did not seek to use any special powers. We simply used the policies and procedures that we had.”

Other vice chancellors from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra who provided evidence to the commission this week have been more equivocal, saying a commitment to academic freedom had made a crackdown difficult, and they had wanted to avoid conflict with protesters.

University of Sydney vice chancellor Mark Scott, who apologised to Jewish staff and students, said on Wednesday that because the chants did not break the law, the issue was “hard for us to deal with”.

He also admitted he did not know whether non-students had been protesting on his campus.

Monash’s campus’s encampment lasted 17 days – compared to 110 days at the Australian National University (ANU) and 56 days at the University of Sydney.

Professor Rebekah Brown, the interim vice chancellor of the ANU, apologised to Jewish staff and students in her evidence.

“Jewish students and staff have an absolute right to feel safe, respected and heard on our campus, and I’m sorry that they didn’t,” Brown told commissioner Virginia Bell on Thursday.

“I’ve committed in my role, as long as I am the interim vice chancellor, to do better.”

Brown said she had been “very moved ... very affected” by the evidence of former ANU student Liat, who gave evidence this week that she had felt unsafe when being taunted as a “baby killer” and “genocide supporter” during the encampment that ran between April and August 2024.

An expert on psychosocial hazards later told the university its encampment, Australia’s longest, “could lead to serious injury”.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24831677 (161145ZJUL26) Notable: Moira Deeming drops court bid against Victorian Liberals; party set to disendorse MP - Moira Deeming has withdrawn her Victorian Supreme Court application to block the Victorian Liberal Party from revoking her preselection, clearing the way for the party's state executive to consider disendorsing her within days. Deeming said the injunction had achieved its purpose by giving her time to prepare a mediation proposal seeking a joint statement with former opposition leader Matthew Guy, acknowledging he intended only "a friendly gesture" while affirming she acted in good faith by using the party's complaints process. Party sources say the mediation proposal will be rejected and the disendorsement will proceed. Guy continues to deny wrongdoing, while Deeming maintains she is investigating how her confidential complaint became public during the police investigation.

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>>74969

>>74978

Moira Deeming drops court bid against Victorian Liberals; party set to disendorse MP

ANTHONY GALLOWAY - 16 July 2026

The Victorian Liberal Party will move to disendorse MP Moira Deeming within days after she dropped her Supreme Court action against the party.

Ms Deeming announced late on Wednesday night she was withdrawing her injunction against the party’s move to revoke her preselection and now wanted the state executive to review her proposal for mediation which includes a joint statement between her and former leader Matthew Guy.

The party moved to disendorse Ms Deeming after she refused to apologise for making assault allegations against Mr Guy that were unable to be substantiated by police.

While a new meeting of the state executive has not yet been scheduled, it is understood it will meet within days to disendorse Ms Deeming. Senior sources told The Australian the party will not agree to her mediation proposal.

The move will end years of turmoil between the Victorian Liberals and the upper house MP since entering parliament in 2022.

Ms Deeming was expelled from the parliamentary party in May 2023 after her attendance at a pro-women rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. She then successfully sued then-leader John Pesutto for defamation and was readmitted to the party room.

But her allegation that Mr Guy assaulted her at a community event on May 23 was met with widespread anger within the party months out from the November election which polls show leader Jess Wilson is in a position to win.

CCTV of the incident on May 23 showed Mr Guy – who vehemently denies any wrongdoing – putting his right arm across Ms Deeming’s shoulder during a conversation.

In her statement on Wednesday night, Ms Deeming said the injunction against the party had “achieved exactly what it was intended to achieve”.

Ms Deeming said she was overseas and unwell when the story broke and “jet-lagged and unwell when the disendorsement meeting was called”.

“The injunction gave me time to recover, review all the facts, learn the difference between a headlock and a collar-tie grip, and gather my thoughts,” she said.

“Now that I have provided the state executive with my statement and a mediation proposal, I have withdrawn the injunction.

“The state executive, having all the evidence before them, can now decide whether or not to pursue mediation or reconvene to disendorse me.”

From the beginning of the saga, Ms Deeming said she had progressed the issue “in good faith, respected the confidentiality of all involved, submitted myself to the instructions and policies of the party and obeyed the law rather than run it through the media”.

Earlier on Wednesday Ms Deeming released a 12-page statement she had sent to the party’s state executive, proposing the matter be resolved through a joint statement acknowledging that Mr Guy’s actions were intended only as “a friendly gesture”, while affirming that she had acted “honestly, privately, in good faith and in accordance with the Liberal Party’s established processes”.

But she also said she was continuing to inquire “how my private internal complaints to senior members within the Liberal Party came to be provided to Mr Guy, and from Mr Guy to journalists, while a police investigation was active”.

“Those inquiries are ongoing. The state executive should not act until all the facts are established,” she wrote.

But senior Liberal figures, who were not authorised to comment publicly on the complaint, said it was their understanding the complaint first reached the media through individuals with whom Ms Deeming had shared its contents, rather than through Mr Guy.

They said Mr Guy sought access to the CCTV footage from the May 23 Macedonian community function only after becoming aware of the complaint.

Mr Guy has been contacted for comment.

At a press conference last month, Mr Guy said “there is no ambiguity, I did not do what’s alleged”.

“The CCTV proves this. It did from the start, and Victoria Police agree,” he said.

“Moira Deeming owes me a public apology.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/moira-deemings-lastditch-plea-to-mediate-dispute/news-story/001159327e05b45d3a3d4f60e4535aed

https://x.com/MoiraDeemingMP/status/2077356932785230255

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24841277 (181454ZJUL26) Notable: UK announces social media curfew for older teens - The United Kingdom will introduce an overnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, restricting access to platforms such as Instagram and Facebook between midnight and 6am as part of broader online safety reforms. The measures follow the government's decision to ban under-16s from major social media platforms from early 2027. New default settings will also disable addictive features such as infinite scrolling for older teenagers, while AI chatbots will be required to prompt users under 18 to take regular breaks. Technology Minister Liz Kendall said the changes aim to improve sleep, learning and wellbeing. The reforms build on similar moves internationally, including Australia's ban on under-16s accessing social media, which has produced mixed results. Critics questioned enforcement and warned restrictions could drive some children towards less safe online behaviour.

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>>>/qresearch/24841260

UK announces social media curfew for older teens

AFP - July 15, 2026

The UK government said Tuesday it will introduce an overnight social media curfew for children aged 16 and 17, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month announced an under-16 social media ban.

In the latest crackdown on children's access to addictive apps, the government said there will be a curfew for teenagers aged 16 and 17 on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, between midnight and 6:00 am.

The government also announced plans for a default setting that will disable addictive features like infinite scrolling for older teenagers.

Users will be able to switch off these settings, however, with critics saying they would be ineffective. It was not clear how these changes would be enforced.

Last month, the UK became the latest to ban social media sites including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook for under-16s, in changes set to come into effect early 2027.

"Even as young people gain greater independence at 16, they should still be protected from the most addictive online features that can have a harmful impact on their wellbeing," technology minister Liz Kendall said in a statement.

"These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends."

The measures also include checks on the use of artificial intelligence chatbots that would require those under 18 to take regular breaks while using the platforms.

While some children's charities have welcomed the reforms as long overdue protections, others have warned they could result in children using the internet in unsafe ways.

Australia in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media, in a move that has seen mixed success.

Canada and the UAE are among other countries that have announced similar bans, while Indonesia began enforcing its ban for users under 16 in March.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/uk-announces-social-media-curfew-for-older-teens/news-story/2bc058ae9dd2c24b598b44f941f353ef

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24841332 (181528ZJUL26) Notable: National gun buyback criticised as NSW Premier confirms only two jurisdictions remain - The proposed national firearm buyback is expected to proceed with only New South Wales and the ACT participating, after NSW Premier Chris Minns said other states had declined to join the scheme. Minns said NSW would proceed despite the lack of broader support, while the ACT confirmed it was working with the Commonwealth on implementation. South Australia said it would not support reforms without public consultation, Queensland reaffirmed its opposition, the Northern Territory has rejected participation, and Tasmania is considering a more limited buyback for reclassified firearms if fully funded by the Commonwealth. The Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia criticised the proposal, arguing it would not prevent firearms reaching criminals or terrorists.

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National gun buyback criticised as NSW Premier confirms only two jurisdictions remain

LACHLAN LEEMING - July 14, 2026

Only two jurisdictions are poised to participate in Anthony Albanese’s “nationwide” gun buyback, as a senior South Australian minister slammed the federal government for failing to properly consult the public on the scheme.

NSW Premier Chris Minns on Monday became the first politician to confirm the planned buyback would likely only include his state and the ACT, with other states refusing to participate.

The Premier said the buyback only “came up briefly” at the last meeting of national cabinet in June, despite the looming July 1 deadline for states to move legislation supporting gun reforms.

With that deadline passed, Mr Minns on Monday acknowledged the national buyback would likely consist of only two jurisdictions.

“To be frank with you, it does look like it’ll be NSW (and) the ACT,” he said, adding Western Australia had already undertaken a similar reform. “But that’s likely to be the only states. Nonetheless, we’re going ahead with it.”

Mr Minns claimed his state had an announcement on the buyback that was “imminent”. He added that while he would prefer other governments “come on board”, he couldn’t “genuinely influence the policies of other jurisdictions”.

SA Police Minister Michael Brown told The Australian the Malinauskas government would not sign up to national firearm ­reforms if it involved no consultation with the public. He added SA could not sign up to a scheme with no national consensus.

“The state government will not sign up to any firearms reform proposal that requires regulatory change before undertaking genuine consultation,” he said.

An ACT government spokesman confirmed the jurisdiction would participate in the buyback alongside NSW. The Territory has introduced legislation but not yet passed it.

“The ACT continues to work closely with the commonwealth government on the scope, design and implementation of the proposed buyback scheme in the Territory,” the spokesman said.

Tasmania is considering its own version of a buyback that would cover only certain types of guns, after the state rejected caps accepted by the ACT and NSW.

The state has also said running a buyback would be contingent on the commonwealth stumping up funding that would guarantee gun owners of surrendered firearms received 1½ times the value of a handed-in weapon.

Furthermore, Tasmania’s buyback would only be for firearms that have been reclassified into stricter categories.

Queensland Police and Emergency Services Minister Dan Purdie also reaffirmed his state’s opposition to the scheme.

“As we have stated previously, Queensland will not be progressing a gun buyback as it does not focus on keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists and criminals, which was at the heart of what we saw at Bondi,” he said.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s office didn’t answer questions including whether the commonwealth was progressing with plans for a national buyback consisting of just the ACT and NSW.

Western Australia completed a buyback earlier this year, while the Northern Territory has rejected participating in the national scheme.

Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia chief executive James Walsh, a strident critic of NSW’s participation in the scheme, said Mr Minns should “save face and reverse” the decision.

“The rest of Australia has said this is no good and at the end of the day it’s not going to take a firearm off someone who shouldn’t have it,” Mr Walsh said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/national-gun-buyback-criticised-as-nsw-premier-confirms-only-two-jurisdictions-remain/news-story/d8218d30604dc952344365e3ed7a5f75

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24841382 (181548ZJUL26) Notable: Meta and YouTube remove accounts of Hizb ut-Tahrir linked protest group - Social media accounts belonging to Stand4Palestine, a pro-Palestine protest group alleged to have links to Hizb ut-Tahrir, have been removed from YouTube, Facebook and Instagram following the Federal Government's post-Bondi crackdown on designated hate groups. The takedowns follow Hizb ut-Tahrir's earlier removal of its own online presence after becoming the first organisation designated under Australia's new hate group laws. The move comes amid scrutiny from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which has criticised social media companies' handling of antisemitic content and examined alleged links between Hizb ut-Tahrir and pro-Palestine protests. Stand4Palestine denies ties to Hizb ut-Tahrir despite claims of overlapping membership and connections.

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>>74971

Meta and YouTube remove accounts of Hizb ut-Tahrir linked protest group

JAMES DOWLING - July 17, 2026

Social media accounts for the pro-Palestine activist offshoot of designated hate group Hizb ut-Tahrir have been pulled offline in a further dismantling after it was targeted in a post-Bondi crackdown.

YouTube, Facebook and Instagram accounts for controversial protest group Stand4Palestine, which organised rallies on the anniversaries of the October 7 attack and this week was the subject of scathing testimony in the antisemitism royal commission, were taken off its platforms earlier this month.

Earlier this year Hizb ut-Tahrir quickly dismantled its online presence, taking down its website and affiliated media channels after the Albanese government passed new hate group legislation targeting it.

A Meta spokesperson refused to say why the accounts were removed and whether it was a reaction to the federal government’s recent hate group designation of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a fundamentalist Islamist group recognised abroad as a terror body.

“For privacy reasons, we can’t share information about individual accounts with anyone other than the account holder,” the spokesperson said.

Stand4Palestine, Home Affairs, YouTube and its parent company Google were contacted for comment. The Australian understands the eSafety Commissioner had no involvement in the take-down.

In past weeks the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion slammed social media companies for inaction on antisemitism and investigated the suspected infiltration of Hizb ut-Tahrir and Stand4Palestine members into the University of Sydney pro-Palestine student encampment.

University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott was warned by a Jewish student body that Hizb ut-Tahrir had likely joined the encampment but took no further action after receiving neutral advice from police.

Pressure grew when investigative program 60 Minutes released a story on Hizb ut-Tahrir’s growing sway on the camp and the broader Sydney protest movement, arguing it used Stand4Palestine as a vehicle to conceal its ideological roots.

On Wednesday Professor Scott told the commission he remained powerless to remove its members from university grounds because the campus was “porous” and the use of move-on notices was a grey area for the site.

The commission reserved some of its most searing criticism for social media companies. Last week its senior counsel assisting, Richard Lancaster SC, all but confirmed it would recommend wide-ranging new standards on global tech giants.

“The social media companies are not sufficiently addressing antisemitism online. Regulatory obligations must be imposed on them because they are not taking care of the problem themselves,” he said. “If social media platforms are capable of inflicting harm, or are actually inflicting harm upon Australians, the laws of Australia must be capable of ­securing accountability for those harms.”

In March Hizb ut-Tahrir became the first target of hate speech laws introduced after the Bondi attack. The threshold for hate group designation is lower than a terror listing. Under the regime, supporters and participants in Hizb ut-Tahrir or any clear affiliate or derivative group face up to 15 years incarceration.

A spokesperson for the group previously said the laws were a product of “Zionist influence” and pledged to fight the legislation in the High Court.

The other group listed under the regime – the neo-Nazi Nationalist Socialist Network – also is challenging the laws.

Hizb ut-Tahrir advocates replacing democratic systems with a caliphate and espouses a conservative interpretation of Islam.

Stand4Palestine member Mukhlis Mah made headlines in March for heckling Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke during a visit to Lakemba mosque.

Stand4Palestine denies ties to Hizb ut-Tahrir despite their overlapping memberships and detailed ties across media and public inquiries.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/meta-and-youtube-remove-accounts-of-hizb-uttahrir-linked-protest-group/news-story/270f845db8bc10e569994c7029a1724f

https://qresear.ch/?q=Hizb+ut-Tahrir

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24841398 (181553ZJUL26) Notable: Antisemitism royal commission to investigate policing of Opera House and neo-Nazi protests - The Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission will examine the policing of the Sydney Opera House pro-Palestinian protest on October 9, 2023, and a neo-Nazi rally outside NSW Parliament as part of its next hearing into protests, policing and antisemitic conduct. The inquiry will consider police responses, protest rhetoric and the balance between public safety and the right to peaceful protest. During the commission's university hearings, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency chief executive Mary Russell said universities had reported growing involvement by external activists, which coincided with more aggressive and antisemitic behaviour at campus protests. Former chief scientist Alan Finkel also urged universities to strengthen relationships with police and address staff social media conduct.

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>>74971

Antisemitism royal commission to investigate policing of Opera House and neo-Nazi protests

JAMES DOWLING - July 17, 2026

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The antisemitism royal commission will analyse the October 9, 2023, Sydney Opera House pro-Palestinian protest that followed the Hamas attack on Israel and a neo-Nazi rally outside the NSW parliament as part of an investigation into protests and policing.

The Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission on Friday announced the subject of its seventh hearing block that will run across two days on August 3 and 4, placing attention on police standards.

Its announcement came at the conclusion of its hearing block on universities, where on Friday the chief of Australia’s tertiary education regulator spoke about sector-wide concerns that “external actors” were bringing antisemitism onto campuses.

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency chief executive Mary Russell said her agency recorded a shift across campus protests towards antisemitic behaviour coinciding with the increased involvement of protesters and factions who were not university staff or students.

“Some of the student protesters and some of the universities had initially tried to engage in discourse and take a more engaged approach to the issues. The intrusion of outside actors typically saw an end to that and saw much more heated, aggressive, and very personalised expressions of protests and ideas,” Dr Russell said.

“When we spoke to universities, they told us that they had strong suspicions, particularly from their direct observations, that there were people taking part in protests, or inflaming or inciting an increase in the activity that did not appear to them to be students or staff.

“We had some accounts that people were enrolling in single subjects at universities so that they had access passes and access to some areas of universities.”

Former chief scientist Alan Finkel, who led an antisemitism investigation for the Group of Eight university collective, said vice-chancellors had to build working relationships with police.

“It’s very clear that some of the encampments and protests had gotten to the point where vice-chancellors were trying to decide whether to call police or not, and in many cases they did,” he said.

“In some cases there was an appropriate response. In others, there was less response than the vice-chancellors had hoped for, and it’s always difficult.”

He also pushed for universities to monitor the social media footprint of staff, arguing there was ­little distinction between views shared on campus and online.

“There’s a permeability between the physical world and the social media world,” he said.

“Without being extreme about it, the universities need to have awareness and policies that provide clarity to the lecturers, to the students, to the student leaders, to all staff, that their actions on social media, if they’re on a public channel, have this permeability and overlap with their actions in the in the real world.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24847418 (201059ZJUL26) Notable: ‘I had never experienced that form of abuse’: Former attorney-general calls for new protections - Former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus has urged the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion to consider buffer-zone laws around synagogues and Jewish schools, similar to protections for abortion clinics, saying they would protect worshippers without banning political protest. Dreyfus said no other religious community in Australia had to pass security guards to attend services and described antisemitic abuse directed at him as “deeply wounding”, recalling: “I had never experienced that form of abuse.” Evidence to the commission showed 1,576 antisemitic incidents were reported nationally in 2025, a 22 per cent increase on 2024. Anonymous witnesses described constant security pressures, rising costs, and the impact on Jewish community life, with one volunteer saying: “I’m always alert.”

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>>74988

‘I had never experienced that form of abuse’: Former attorney-general calls for new protections

Michael Bachelard - July 20, 2026

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Former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus says Australia should consider banning protests outside synagogues and Jewish schools by introducing laws similar to those that protect abortion clinics.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion opened a new block of hearings on Monday into Jewish community security, with counsel assisting Richard Lancaster, SC, saying Australian Jews had been under “constant threat” since October 7, 2023.

Commissioner Virginia Bell granted pseudonyms to a number of witnesses appearing on Monday to protect their identity, while others gave evidence in closed court.

One witness said the number of antisemitic incidents – ranging from abuse to threats and violence – reported to Jewish Community Security Groups hit an all-time high last year.

A total of 1576 incidents were reported to the groups across Australia in 2025 – a rise of 22 per cent compared to 2024.

Dreyfus said Jewish schools have now “hardened” the exterior of their buildings, and said the commission it should consider recommending new laws “analogous to the restrictions on protest activity around abortion clinics” as part of its final report.

The High Court ruled in 2019 (with Bell serving on the bench at the time) creating buffer zones around abortion centres where protests were prohibited did not unduly limit freedom of political expression and would reduce distress and anxiety to patients entering and leaving.

“I think because of the events we’ve heard in recent years ... it’s time to consider whether we need some similar restriction on protest activity outside synagogues, schools and Jewish places of gathering … not to ban political protest, not say that people cannot express their views in our community, but rather to protect Jewish Australians,” Dreyfus said.

Serving as the attorney-general between 2022 and 2025, Dreyfus told the commission no other religious group in Australia had to walk past guards to get to their place of worship.

“The Jewish community does, in response to a real and assessed risk. No one would wish for this, but it has been necessary, and sadly continues to be necessary,” he said.

Speaking of his own personal encounters with antisemitism, the member for Isaacs said in 2024 he was approached by a man in the street who said: “You are a genocidal Zionist, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

“I had never experienced that form of abuse,” Dreyfus said. “No one had ever hurled abuse at me because I am Jewish.”

About a month later, his electorate office in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs was vandalised, with signs painted saying, “Who does Attorney-General Dreyfus serve?”

“It invokes all of those old antisemitic tropes about dual loyalties and treachery to Australia, all of which are false. It’s a deeply wounding attack.”

Dreyfus also said he had been called a “kapo” – a reference to Jews who had cooperated with concentration camp guards during the Holocaust – on social media by Jewish Australians. He said he believed it was because he had been constrained in what he could say publicly by cabinet solidarity.

“I found those attacks from some Jewish Australians particularly difficult and painful,” Dreyfus said.

Dreyfus also told the commission that Australia should again consider legal changes to criminalise hate speech, establish a national gun registry, and impose new restrictions on social media.

These could include a right for Australians to sue social media companies for abuse that appears on their platforms, getting them to take down posts. The costs should be borne by the companies, he said.

“It’s something that pushes the cost onto social media platforms at an early stage, and says you’re going to pay the whole cost of this ... it can’t just be left to the eSafety commissioner,” he said.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24850407 (211107ZJUL26) Notable: The Jerusalem declaration: Israel demands no more UN ambushes by Canberra - Israel has called on Australia to adopt a more balanced approach towards the Jewish state, urging Canberra to stop routinely supporting anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations if it wants to improve bilateral relations. Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said Israel wanted Australia to show greater impartiality, including by considering abstentions on some UN votes, while stressing military and intelligence co-operation would continue. The Israeli embassy also criticised proposed changes to Labor’s draft national platform, arguing they placed too much responsibility on Israel while reducing pressure on Hamas and the Palestinian leadership. The Albanese government has defended its Middle East policy as supporting a two-state solution and has recognised a Palestinian state.

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The Jerusalem declaration: Israel demands no more UN ambushes by Canberra

MOHAMMAD ALFARES and NOAH YIM - 20 July 2026

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Israel has demanded Australia be more impartial and stop joining UN ambushes against the Jewish state if wants to repair the Canberra-Jerusalem diplomatic relationship, as its ambassador sharply intervenes against Labor’s anti-Netanyahu draft policy platform.

The Israeli embassy on Monday broke its silence over controversial draft changes to Labor’s chief policy document – including solidified support for international courts trying to arrest senior Israeli politicians and watering down accountability for Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

Days before Anthony Albanese convenes Labor premiers, MPs and activists from all over the country to vote on the party platform in Adelaide, the embassy warned the current draft put too much of the blame on Israel and failed to accept the Jewish people’s ancient and legal connection to the land.

Middle East conflict threatens to complicate the Prime Minister’s plan for a harmonious national conference, amid plans by pro-Palestine elements of the ALP to push him and the platform even further on opposition to Israel.

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told The Australian that a reconciliation between Canberra and authorities in Jerusalem was conditional on Australia’s conduct at forums such as the UN.

With Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu personally attacking the Prime Minister several times over his Middle East policy over the past two years, Ms Haskel said her country would never pull military or intelligence co-operation.

But she said Australia’s recent tendency to back anti-Israeli motions in global arenas was a significant sticking point and threatened less close co-operation.

“We could pull out a card … for example, a military attache or things like that, or stop sharing certain things,” Ms Haskel said. “We’re not going to do that, ­because we know that this co-­operation saves Australian lives, and our relationship historically goes back much longer than one government or another. The first request is to not automatically support multilateral propositions or initiatives … like an automatic vote against Israel. We need to have a discussion about maybe abstaining. Australia used to vote with us, with a group of what is called the strong allies, like the United States. Australia is not there anymore.

“We asked for more impartiality … for Australia to take a more balanced approach. These are two very basic ones. There’s more, but I have to say that we haven’t seen these basic requests acted upon yet.

“We’ve been discussing it now for years; we keep on making these requests over and over again … the first thing is to start really dealing with antisemitism in Australia, because our communities, the Jewish communities, feel persecuted and unsafe, and that is absolutely unacceptable.”

Labor’s draft policy platform ratchets up criticism of Israel’s “occupation” of the Gaza Strip, removes a previous demand that Hamas must disarm and have no role in a future Palestinian state, and steps up commitments for international courts.

It explicitly opposes the “annexation of Palestinian territory” while urging Israel to “bring its illegal settlement activity and the occupation to an end”.

In an extraordinary intervention, the Israeli embassy in Canberra noted that, while this was just a draft platform, it put too much responsibility for the conflict on Israel while “giving insufficient to the decisions, conduct and continuing obligations of the Palestinian leadership and terrorist organisations such as Hamas”.

“The root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in our neighbours’ refusal to accept the existence of the state of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, in any borders,” the embassy said.

“The Jewish people are indigenous to the land of Israel, especially Judea and Samaria.

“If the international community seeks lasting peace, it must focus on holding the Palestinian leadership accountable for terrorism and incitement, which are the real obstacles to peace.”

The embassy said “any reduction of pressure on Hamas and its redirection towards Israel will continue to empower the terrorist organisation”.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24854736 (221103ZJUL26) Notable: Jewish kids feared being murdered in their sleep; Jews in wheelchairs assaulted, royal commission hears - The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard evidence that Jewish children and adults experienced heightened fear and abuse following a rise in antisemitic incidents. A youth camp leader said children at a summer camp after the Bondi terror attack were "crying because they were scared that someone was going to come and murder them in their sleep", while describing harassment experienced by Jewish students at non-Jewish schools. Jewish Community Council of Victoria chief executive Naomi Levin told the commission Jewish people, including wheelchair users, were assaulted during protests in Melbourne in 2024 and called government security funding inconsistent. Victoria Police officers also told the commission better data on antisemitic incidents would improve understanding of the problem.

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>>74988

Jewish kids feared being murdered in their sleep; Jews in wheelchairs assaulted, royal commission hears

LILY MCCAFFREY - 22 July 2026

Jewish kids at a youth summer camp were “crying because they were scared that someone was going to come and murder them in their sleep” following the Bondi terror attack, while Jews in wheelchairs suffered physical assaults in antisemitic incidents in Melbourne in 2024, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard.

A Jewish youth camp leader from Sydney in her early 20s detailed the sharp contrast between the nature of the camps and activities she attended with the same youth movement group growing up compared with now.

The camp leader – who gave evidence on Wednesday under a pseudonym – said children were no longer free to wear Jewish paraphernalia on their way to and from camps and other events, which these days mostly occurred behind security within the gates of a synagogue.

She said groups used to host days at the pool, trips to the movies and picnics in parks, and kids would attend protests wearing the youth movement’s identifying jerseys and participate in Clean Up Australia Day, but safety concerns meant those kinds of events in public places could no longer take place.

The camp leader said children in the group had disclosed “a lot of really traumatic experiences” that had happened at their non-Jewish schools, and it was “heartbreaking” that students often didn’t understand that the antisemitic treatment they received was not OK.

“One instance was on a recent camp a year 12 student shared with me that upon receiving her school captaincy, her photograph was photoshopped by her peers to have payot (sideburns that Orthodox Jewish men wear) and ‘Jew Jew Jew’ written on it and it was circulated around the school,” she said. “The school couldn’t do anything about it because they couldn’t find where it originated so they didn’t know who to get in trouble.”

The camp leader spoke of the difficulties of a summer camp that took place shortly after the December Bondi Beach terror attack, where “many [children] who ­usually would just be homesick were suddenly crying because they were scared that someone was going to come and murder them in their sleep”.

‘Horrific’ attacks

Naomi Levin, CEO of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, gave evidence to the royal commission of “really horrific incidents” that took place on the streets of Melbourne’s CBD during the weekly pro-Palestine protests.

The worst, Ms Levin said, was in August 2024 when an anti-­racism rally and pro-Palestine protesters clashed outside the Victorian parliament.

“It was the worst day we have ever experienced here in Victoria for antisemitic incidents,” she said.

“There were Jewish individuals in wheelchairs who suffered physical assaults, there was a level of vitriol against Jewish people who were peacefully demonstrating that was outside what we’d ever seen before, and there was a perception that police didn’t step in and didn’t do what was needed to be done, and that continued at future protests.”

Ms Levin said government funding for security had, at different points in time, been “more dependent on the election cycle than the needs”.

“What we’ve seen over the past few years is very ad hoc funding. So after an incident there’s an injection of funds but it all has to be spent in a pretty short space of time … or it can’t be spent on particular needs, it has to be directed into one area,” Ms Levin said.

The royal commission also heard evidence from a Victoria Police commander that the force did not have “reliable” data to draw on regarding the prevalence of antisemitic incidents.

“That’s our biggest issue ... there are mechanisms to work through antisemitic incidents, but it’s just not that reliable,” acting commander Kelvin Gale of Victoria Police’s crime and counter-terrorism group said of the available data.

The force’s assistant commissioner, Chris Gilbert, agreed that better data would be an “advantage” but he said Victoria Police was in a “very strong position” regarding its ability to assess risks to the Jewish community regardless.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/jewish-kids-feared-being-murdered-in-their-sleep-jews-in-wheelchairs-assaulted-royal-commission-hears/news-story/d7b15af8ed3bf06e5b5fe59750d3042a

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24857909 (231118ZJUL26) Notable: Jewish community security costs double government funding, royal commission is told - The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard that annual security costs for Jewish organisations consistently exceed government funding, despite recent federal support. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said security spending was regularly more than double available funding and rejected claims government grants were used for political advocacy or overseas purposes. The commission also heard emotional evidence about the impact of antisemitism on Jewish families. ECAJ councillor Lesli Berger described his children's fear after antisemitic graffiti targeted their home and during the Bondi terror attack, while Rabbi Allison Conyer recounted incidents of Jewish children being harassed, excluded and abused because of their identity.

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>>74988

Jewish community security costs double government funding, royal commission is told

BIMINI PLESSER - 23 July 2026

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Annual security costs for Jewish sites and organisations are consistently more than double the amount they receive in government funding, even after the federal budget delivered a $124m deal for the country’s top Jewish body, the antisemitism royal commission has heard.

The importance and financial cost of protection and security was a key focus on a day on which the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion also heard heart-rending testimony about the physical and psychological impact of antisemitism on children.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim on Thursday told the commission the rising risk of targeted attacks meant security costs were skyrocketing.

This year’s federal budget included a substantial funding package for ECAJ, with the organisation receiving $124m over three years for enhanced community security, including at schools and synagogues, plus a one-off $22m payment to install extra security infrastructure at a specific site in Sydney.

Despite striking this deal with the federal government, Mr Wertheim said there wasn’t enough money to keep every Jewish group, site and school safe. He told the royal commission annual security expenditure for Jewish sites and organisations was regularly “more than double” the available government funding.

When asked about public misconceptions about how ECAJ and organisations like it distributes funds, Mr Wertheim said any suggestion they “can allocate these funds as we see fit is just an outrageous falsehood”.

He also rejected online claims any funding was used for political advocacy, court cases or sent to support the Israeli administration, calling any such rumours “completely and utterly untrue”.

Mr Wertheim said “we would like to see the government meet all of the security costs of the community”, as the responsibility on ECAJ is “a very heavy one”.

He added that the Jewish community “would prefer to live without antisemitism and without security funding”.

Earlier on Thursday, ECAJ councillor Lesli Berger gave deeply emotional testimony. He told the commission even after years working in politics and being targeted by bigots, the hardest part about being a Jewish Australian was seeing how antisemitism ­affected his children.

In 2024, a swastika and words resembling the Nazi German phrase “Juden Gatter”, meaning “Jewish Gate”, were painted on the back gate of Mr Berger’s home in Sydney.

The grandson of Holocaust survivors, Mr Berger said having Nazi symbols painted on his home was extremely upsetting, but the most devastating thing was seeing how terrified his children felt afterwards.

“(They) felt unsafe and uncomfortable in their own home,” he said, visibly emotional.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24857920 (231127ZJUL26) Notable: Jewish group questions Australian Federal Police over ‘firebomb’ threat dismissal - The Australian Jewish Association has criticised the Australian Federal Police after officers decided not to pursue an investigation into an email expressing hope the organisation's offices would be firebombed. The AFP told the association the message was unlikely to meet the legal threshold for a Commonwealth offence because it did not contain a direct threat and was not sufficiently offensive under existing case law. AJA president Robert Gregory said most Australians would regard the email as menacing and argued authorities should fully enforce existing laws rather than wait for threats to escalate. The incident comes as the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion examines security concerns facing Australia's Jewish community.

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>>74988

Jewish group questions Australian Federal Police over ‘firebomb’ threat dismissal

LILY MCCAFFREY - 23 July 2026

A Jewish group has questioned the Australian Federal Police’s decision to file away and not take further action over a threat it received regarding the firebombing of its office from an unknown sender who called the organisation “filthy f*cking jews”.

The Australian Jewish Association received an email on Monday last week that said: “Hey whats up. Hope you guys have a wonderful day and i hope mine is as wonderful when your f*cking offices get firebombed you filthy f*cking jews”.

AJA president Robert Gregory reported the email that same day to the AFP, which, in its response two days later, said the comment did not amount to a direct threat and was not offensive enough to reach the threshold for an offence under commonwealth law.

“I understand you consider the email as offensive and menacing towards you and your office; however, unfortunately the comment is unlikely to reach the offence under section 474.17,” the AFP wrote in an email to Mr Gregory.

“It contains ‘when’, which is not a direct threat and contains offensive language towards you and other Jewish persons; however, is not offensive enough considering case law on that section of the offence.”

Section 474.17 of the commonwealth criminal code provides that it is an offence to use a carriage service in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, menacing, harassing or offensive.

The AFP in its response to the AJA said it had attempted to identify the person behind the message but was unable to due to “restrictions in what inquiries we can make given the information”. The AFP said it would “file the information for later use should the same email be identified in further reporting”, and suggested the AJA block the email to prevent further contact.

Mr Gregory told The Australian he respected the important role the AFP played and the success it had previously had in identifying and prosecuting people who had threatened the AJA and the Australian Jewish community.

But he said he struggled to understand how an email expressing hope that the AJA’s NSW offices would be firebombed would not be regarded as menacing.

“I think most reasonable Australians would conclude that an email expressing hope that a Jewish organisation’s offices are firebombed is menacing and warrants investigation,” Mr Gregory said.

“There is little point introducing new hate speech and antisemitism laws if existing laws are not being fully utilised. Public safety and confidence depend not only on passing legislation, but on enforcing it.

“A strong theme emerging from the royal commission hearings has been that threats should be taken seriously without waiting for them to escalate.”

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion this week turned its focus to security arrangements for the Jewish community. Among the witnesses were members of the Jewish community security group who spoke of the immense pressure placed on its staff and volunteers to keep its community safe amid a surge in antisemitic incidents in Australia. Members of the Jewish community also detailed the impact ongoing safety concerns and security arrangements had on their lives.

Mr Gregory is due to give evidence to the royal commission on Monday. In its submission to the royal commission, the AJA said its staff were frequently subject to abuse, intimidation and threats, including death threats.

In one example, underneath a social media post announcing Mr Gregory had become a father to a baby girl, a commenter wrote, “until we Aussies inevitably put all your genocidal kind in next gen gas chambers”.

The AJA in its submission also said it regularly engaged armed security personnel for its events at significant cost.

The AFP was contacted for comment.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/jewish-group-questions-australian-federal-police-over-firebomb-threat-dismissal/news-story/80fafb9102c0079d550fdbe91a363d63

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24866063 (250817ZJUL26) Notable: ‘Are we going to be safe?’: Julian Leeser tells royal commission of his son’s fears over antisemitism - Liberal MP Julian Leeser has told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion that rising antisemitism has left his eight-year-old son fearful about attending synagogue, recalling the child asking: "Dad, how do you know we're going to be safe?" Leeser also described antisemitic vandalism targeting his election material and argued hostility towards Jews had evolved over time. The commission heard further evidence that escalating security costs were diverting resources from community and educational activities, while witnesses identified threats from Islamist extremism, the far right and extremist elements of the far left. Medical organisations also expressed concern that the health practitioner regulator's adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism could expose healthcare workers to complaints for lawful criticism of Israel.

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>>74988

‘Are we going to be safe?’: Julian Leeser tells royal commission of his son’s fears over antisemitism

Michael Bachelard and Henrietta Cook - July 24, 2026

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Jewish Liberal MP Julian Leeser has fought back tears as he described to the antisemitism royal commission the impact of the Bondi terror attack on his own child.

Leeser, the federal Liberal education spokesman, told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion his eight-year-old son’s reaction to going to a synagogue for a recent bar mitzvah.

“His little hand grabbed my hand pretty tight, and he said to me, ‘Dad, how do you know we’re going to be safe?’” Leeser said.

“I could see the police car there, I said to him, ‘Of course, we’ll be safe’. But of course, I couldn’t guarantee it.

“If an eight-year-old child doesn’t feel safe going into a place of worship, that’s not the Australia I know and love. It’s not the Australia I want for my children or anyone’s children.”

Commissioner Virginia Bell has spent the past week hearing evidence about the security implications for the Jewish community of a recent explosion of antisemitism.

Leeser said his political posters had been defaced with antisemitic tropes such as Hitler moustaches, swastikas and dollar signs drawn on his face. He said it was normal for politicians to be criticised but, “although sometimes you’re wounded by the barbs, it’s not going to an immutable quality like my faith background”.

He said the nature of antisemitism had changed over the course of history: “In the Middle Ages, Jews were hated for their religion. In the 19th and 20th century, they were hated for their race. Today, they’re hated for their nation state.”

Another witness gave evidence that the community was building a wall around itself to protect the garden of its faith.

Tahli Blicblau, who works for a Jewish community non-profit, the Dor Foundation, and is a former counter-terrorism practitioner, said the garden was “Jewish religious, cultural, and education ... those things that make a vibrant community thrive”.

The wall was the security they had needed to build to protect it.

The commission has heard this week that schools, synagogues, children’s camps and other events were employing armed guards and building blast-proof walls, and relied heavily on a volunteer security corps to feel safe.

“In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need the wall … Certainly, we don’t want that wall, but unfortunately, it is needed,” Blicblau told the commission.

She said it had come at a high cost to the Jewish community.

“And in a world where philanthropic funds are finite, there is a constant debate … within Jewish philanthropy … about the increasing need to invest in the wall at the expense of the garden – which could lead that garden to wilt.”

It was “not possible, and it should not be expected, for Jewish philanthropy to cover the cost of protective security,” she said.

Both Leeser and Blicblau said the threat to the community came from Islamic extremism, the far right and the far left.

Commissioner Virginia Bell asked Blicblau if she considered “some individuals involved in what I would call the pro-Palestine movement” as being from the dangerous far left.

“I wouldn’t describe it in those exact terms,” Blicblau replied. “I’m talking about an extreme fringe radical element, of which that is certainly a part of the ideological drivers. But the people I’m talking about are anti-democratic, anti-Australian, anti-colonial generally, which extends not only to Israel but also to Australia.”

“You’re not suggesting,” asked Bell, “that individuals who march in protests about the Palestinian cause are motivated towards violence towards Jewish people, are you?”

“I would say the vast majority of them are not,” Blicblau replied.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24877800 (281136ZJUL26) Notable: Visa crackdown and ‘real fear’ in hospitals revealed at antisemitism royal commission - Australia's strengthened visa laws have enabled authorities to more readily refuse or cancel visas for individuals considered likely to incite discord or promote antisemitism, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard. Home Affairs immigration chief Clare Sharp said the lower legal threshold had been used to cancel Kanye West's visa, block commentator Candace Owens from touring Australia and act against a participant in a neo-Nazi rally. The commission also heard evidence that some Jewish Australians fear seeking medical treatment following antisemitic incidents, including the alleged threats made by two former Bankstown Hospital nurses, with reports of patients concealing their Jewish identity and doctors experiencing abuse. Witnesses called for stronger action against antisemitic intimidation and greater safeguards within the health system.

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>>74988

Visa crackdown and ‘real fear’ in hospitals revealed at antisemitism royal commission

BIMINI PLESSER - 28 July 2026

Sweeping reforms passed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack made it easier for the government to refuse and cancel visas for high-risk figures such as Kanye West, far-right commentators and potential terrorists, the antisemitism royal commission has heard.

Home Affairs immigration chief Clare Sharp told the commission on Tuesday that law changes, passed in January watered down the test for officials assessing visas.

Previously, Home Affairs staff assessed whether a person “would incite discord in the Australian community”, but now officials can reject or revoke a visa if a person “might” incite discord.

Ms Sharp said the wording change had allowed the government to cancel someone’s visa after they attended a neo-Nazi rally outside NSW parliament last year and also to block far-right conservative commentator Candace Owens from going on a speaking tour across Australia.

Ms Sharp said it had enabled the department “to make earlier and more risk-based decisions” and avoid the old “lengthy process” of dealing with potentially dangerous figures.

The commission heard controversial musician Kanye West’s visa was cancelled in 2025 under “good order” grounds after he made a series of antisemitic statements and released a song called Heil Hitler. Ms Sharp confirmed decision-makers had identified West’s presence in Australia as a “risk to the good order of the ­community” or a possible inciter of violence.

She also mentioned a list of “controversial visitors” created by Home Affairs to keep tabs on “high-profile individuals who are known for saying controversial things”. While being on the list did not mean someone would automatically be refused a visa, Ms Sharp said it meant the department was acutely aware of those individuals’ travel plans.

The commission also heard that antisemitic statements can now be categorised as “serious conduct”, making them a mandatory consideration for decision-makers when evaluating character grounds for visa refusals or cancellations.

Ms Sharp’s testimony followed a high-profile rabbi’s calls for a bigger crackdown on casual bigotry in Australia. Jewish House chief executive and Rabbinical Fellow of The Great Synagogue Rabbi Mendel Kastel told the commission on Tuesday morning the Jewish community was increasingly afraid to seek medical care.

The commission heard about numerous reports of doctors being “targeted, kicked off groups, abused” outside their workplaces and incidents where patients “turned on doctors”, even saying they refused to be treated by “a Zionist pig”.

Rabbi Kastel then referred to the case of two Bankstown Hospital nurses facing criminal charges over allegedly threatening to kill Israeli patients. He said it was one of several serious incidents that made his community hesitant to seek medical care.

After a video of the former nurses’ alleged comments went viral and Jewish people became “too afraid to go to hospital”, Rabbi Kastel said NSW Health asked him if they should create an alternative way for them to access healthcare.

“My answer was absolutely not. We need to make sure that hospitals are safe,” he said.

“People are concerned about going to hospital. People are concerned about putting down on their admission form that they’re Jewish.

“I’ve had people who have an Israeli accent who are afraid to sort of talk to the nurse because they’ll pick up that they might be Israeli. There’s real fear out there.”

Rabbi Kastel, who has been a chaplain at Sydney hospitals for decades, said he was hopeful change would come in the health sector.

“There is a very good culture within NSW Health, but there’s still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “It’s a bureaucracy. It takes time, but there’s definitely a lot of positive feelings within the health sector.”

When asked whether medical staff should be asked not to wear a pin of the Israeli or Palestinian flags, Rabbi Kastel said: “Yes, I would support that.”

The rabbi also called for a bigger crackdown on bigotry and bias that doesn’t meet criminal standards, saying casual abuse was becoming far too commonplace.

“Unfortunately … people are feeling that it’s OK to say whatever they want to whoever they want, whenever they want, and get away with it because it’s not technically illegal. But it still is done to be able to abuse people, to intimidate people, to terrorise people, and that’s not OK,” he said.

“That’s something that we’re finding is becoming more normalised, and where we need to start seeing change.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/jewish-australians-too-afraid-to-go-to-hospital-royal-commission-told/news-story/2e4cdacf2cef7de079f77454a2855785

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24881067 (291105ZJUL26) Notable: Australia records highest surge in antisemitism of any major nation with a large Jewish population - Australia has recorded the largest increase in antisemitic incidents of any major Jewish diaspora nation since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, according to a report by the American Anti-Defamation League's J7 coalition. The report found antisemitic incidents in Australia rose 246 per cent since October 2023 and 270 per cent since 2021, while annual figures compiled by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry recorded 2,062 incidents in 2024. The report also highlighted sharp increases in online antisemitism, widespread reports of harassment on university campuses and declining confidence in institutional responses. It warned antisemitic violence and discrimination were likely to remain a significant concern in 2026, while expressing hope the Royal Commission into Antisemitism would drive meaningful reforms.

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>>74988

Australia records highest surge in antisemitism of any major nation with a large Jewish population

BIMINI PLESSER - 29 July 2026

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Australia has recorded a 246 per cent increase in antisemitic abuse and vandalism since October 7, 2023, marking the steepest increase of any major Jewish diaspora nation, a damning new report reveals.

An annual report released through the American Anti-Defamation League documents the rates of antisemitism across the J7, a coalition of the world’s largest Jewish diaspora communities.

The number of antisemitic incidents in Australia has increased 270 per cent since 2021, the highest of any J7 country, the report found.

Germany and the US recorded the second and third-highest increases, with jumps of 215 per cent and 131 per cent, respectively.

Annual data collected by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry – covering the 12-month period from October 1 to September 30 – shows the number of antisemitic incidents in Australia rose from 231 in 2013 to 1654 in 2025, a 616 per cent jump.

The spike included a huge jump from 495 incidents in 2023 to 2062 incidents in 2024, which ECAJ attributed to increased anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. These acts of antisemitism were predominantly assault, abuse, vandalism and graffiti, the report stated.

Australia also recorded the second-highest number of antisemitic incidents per 1000 Jewish residents in 2025. At 14.14, Australia’s rate was higher than every J7 country except Germany, which recorded a rate of 69.80 per 1000 residents.

Last year was the deadliest for antisemitic attacks outside Israel in more than three decades, the report showed. Of the 20 people killed, 15 were the innocents gunned down at Bondi Beach in December. The remaining five victims were killed in the UK and the US.

The J7 report also showed how prevalent antisemitic abuse has become on social media.

Data from Australia’s Online Hate Prevention Institute found, on average, social platforms recorded a 839 per cent rise in antisemitism after October 7, 2023. The changes ranged from an increase of 337 per cent on X to a staggering 984 per cent on Gab, a networking service known for its minimal content moderation and far-right user base.

The statistics come shortly after hearing block three of the antisemitism royal commission examined the impact of social media and tech giants on social cohesion.

The commission’s senior counsel assisting, Richard Lancaster SC, this month declared “social media companies are not sufficiently addressing antisemitism online” and called for strict regulations.

“If social media platforms are capable of inflicting harm, or are actually inflicting harm upon Australians, the laws of Australia must be capable of ­securing accountability for those harms,” he said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24881112 (291127ZJUL26) Notable: Jewish doctors afraid to report antisemitism over fear of reprisals, commission told - Jewish doctors and healthcare workers concealed their Jewish or Israeli identity and, in some cases, avoided reporting antisemitic incidents for fear of workplace reprisals, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard. Representatives of the Australasian Jewish Medical Federation said some practitioners and patients feared bias within the health system following the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent rise in antisemitism. JewishCare told the commission demand for mental health and support services surged after October 7 and increased further following the Bondi terrorist attack, with many clients reporting heightened fear and isolation. Health authorities acknowledged the impact of the alleged threats by two former Bankstown Hospital nurses, while regulators reaffirmed that all Australians should feel safe accessing healthcare regardless of their religion or background.

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>>74988

Jewish doctors afraid to report antisemitism over fear of reprisals, commission told

MARCUS DE BLONK SMITH - 29 July 2026

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Antisemitism had driven doctors and healthcare workers to hide their Jewish identity when racism spiked in the aftermath of the ­October 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel, a royal commission has been told.

But some Jewish medical staff were too afraid to report the abuse for fear of being subjected to reprisals, the inquiry heard.

The confronting evidence demonstrated how antisemitism has penetrated hospitals and clinics that were supposed to be ­havens of judgment-free care for Australians of all walks of life and backgrounds.

Australasian Jewish Medical Federation’s Jack Green and Adam Gordon were the first to testify before the antisemitism royal commission in Sydney on Wednesday.

The commission heard Jewish doctors and healthcare professionals felt compelled to hide their Jewish or Israeli identity, while junior Jewish medical staff who experienced antisemitism in the workplace were too afraid to report it for fear of reprisals.

In his evidence on Wednesday, Dr Gordon said he set up a dedicated advocacy committee to provide support to Jewish doctors and healthcare professionals after many reported feeling “a lot of ­despair” in the workplace following the October attacks.

Dr Gordon, a gastroenterologist, said Jewish patients had also raised with him their concerns that they would be subjected to “antisemitism sentiment” when attending hospital.

In his testimony, he told the commission healthcare should be a “sacred space”, free from the “political advocacy of the day”.

“Everyone wants the healthcare system to be safe and equitable for everybody,” Dr Gordon said. “There shouldn’t be this ­additional concern placed on ­patients about where they fit in terms of the political advocacy of the day.”

Giving evidence on Wednesday morning, Dr Green, a consultant dermatologist, said no practitioner should ever “feel compelled to conceal their Jewish or Israeli identity”, and patients themselves shouldn’t have “doubts care will be impartial”.

He added his hope for the future was that no colleague was blamed for the actions of a foreign government.

JewishCare’s Lawson Broad and Ben Bolot, giving joint evidence, detailed to the commission how demand for the organisation’s services changed “quite profoundly” after October 7 and then rose “significantly” after December’s Bondi terror attack.

“From October 7, we saw an increase in people seeking support for mental health, stress-related type stress disorders,” Mr Bolot said. “Post 14 December, that changed even more significantly,” he added. JewishCare is a not-for-profit major service provider for vulnerable members of the Jewish community.

In the immediate aftermath of the Bondi massacre, the organisation fielded more than 1000 calls for help. It has since taken on more staff to meet the increased demand.

The commission heard a statement from one of JewishCare’s aged care clients – a Holocaust survivor – who, in a survey, said: “We’re not even dead yet. How can this be happening?”

Another, also a survivor of the Holocaust, said: “Ever since Bondi, I haven’t gone out unless I have to. I am worried and fearful of being attacked.

“I am heartbroken. After surviving the Holocaust in Hungary, this beautiful country, which was safe for us Jews and non-Jews, is not anymore.”

It was heard many of JewishCare’s clients had become hesitant to venture out into public spaces, while some who relied on transport services such as Uber were giving drivers fake addresses to avoid disclosing their direct location. JewishCare staff, the commission was told, also became concerned for their safety after a car was firebombed nearby the ­organisation’s office.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24885242 (300952ZJUL26) Notable: Gas from the chambers: Students’ cruel taunts at Jewish classmates revealed - The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion heard evidence of severe antisemitic bullying experienced by Jewish students, including one child whose head was forced into a confined space and sprayed with deodorant to simulate “gas from the chambers”, while another student returned from recess to find the classroom's desks and chairs rearranged into the shape of a swastika. Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal said such incidents had worsened after the Gaza war began and highlighted the need to promote respect in schools. Witnesses described students being subjected to slurs, swastikas, coins thrown at them, kippahs flicked from their heads and taunts including “Hitler should have finished the job”. Educators also described fears for student safety and the normalisation of security measures at Jewish schools.

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‘Gas from the chambers’: Students’ cruel taunts at Jewish classmates revealed

Perry Duffin - July 30, 2026

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard chilling evidence of schoolyard bullying against Jewish students, including a child’s head being forced into a confined space and sprayed with deodorant to simulate “gas from the chambers”.

The royal commission this week has delved into the experience of Jewish Australians in various fields including the health system, the arts and education.

Commissioner Virginia Bell AC on Thursday heard evidence from parents speaking under pseudonyms, educators within the Jewish school systems and Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal, whose work has zeroed in on schools and universities.

Segal said she had heard of terrible incidents at schools even before October 2023. But, after the war in Gaza began, two more incidents in schools had particularly shocked her.

“I was very upset to hear of one student who had been accosted in the corridor and had his head pushed into an enclosed area and sprayed with deodorant … as if it was gas from the chambers,” she told the commission.

“Another story from a student in a school – they’d gone out to recess and when they came back the desks and chairs were all rearranged in the form of a swastika.”

Segal said it was upsetting and chilling for young people to behave in such a way, even if they didn’t truly appreciate the gravity of their actions.

“It’s necessary to think about how we inculcate in the next generation a sense of values and respect for everyone,” she said.

Segal said her office has been bringing groups together for roundtables to create, distribute and promote programs and lessons for teachers.

Thursday’s hearing began with evidence from a mother who said her child in high school was targeted with horrific antisemitic slurs and stereotypes by other students.

The woman, giving evidence under a pseudonym, told the commission her son had requested his school host an information session for year 10 students.

“We have (seen) the way vile university protesters have behaved, and we younger Jews are fearful for our future, since these are the people we will live with,” the boy wrote to the school.

The school invited two authors who spoke about their experience pushing for peace in the Middle East and family experience of the Holocaust.

The woman also said her son felt “culturally unsafe” when a teacher at school wore a “Free Palestine” badge.

“When my son saw this badge, he said to his teacher, I do not feel comfortable with you wearing that badge in the classroom because classrooms and schools are neutral territories,” the woman said.

She also said there was a difference between “antizionism” and “anti-Zionism” with a hyphen – the hyphenated version contains criticism of Israel, the other was a veil for people who wanted to eradicate Israel.

The commission heard Jewish students would have coins thrown at them, or swastikas drawn on their lockers, or their kippahs flicked off their heads.

“There were often taunts that invoked the gas chamber and statements like, ‘Hitler should have finished the job,’ and other Nazi or neo-Nazi references,” the Board of Jewish Education’s John Hamey said.

“On one occasion there were members of the public who stormed one of our school buses as it was coming to school and were chanting antisemitic slurs at young primary school children on that bus.”

The shocking thing for Hamey, he told the commission, was how the Jewish community seemed resigned to the harassment as part of ordinary life, with no consequences expected for their assailants.

Courage to Care’s Mike Zervos OAM told the commission their charity, which provides education resources, is being asked whether it is safe to send children to school wearing a uniform that identifies them as Jewish.

“I still cannot comprehend that if I just go to a meeting which happens to be in a school, a shul or a synagogue, there’s an armed guard outside it, and that’s considered to be typical, normal and acceptable,” he said.

The commission continues.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/gas-from-the-chambers-students-cruel-taunts-at-jewish-classmates-revealed-20260730-p60k1h.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24894858 (020919ZAUG26) Notable: US anti-hate chief slams Anthony Albanese’s ‘fecklessness’ after Bondi Beach attack - Anti-Defamation League chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's “fecklessness” following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack and urged Australia to pursue stronger regulation of social media platforms. Greenblatt backed reforms being considered by the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, including enforceable conduct rules and licensing requirements, while advocating an international regulatory mechanism for global technology companies. He said “speed and follow-through” on the commission's recommendations would be critical and argued online platforms amplify antisemitism and social division. ADL data showed Australia recorded 1654 antisemitic incidents in 2025, up 246 per cent from 2022, despite a 20 per cent decline from 2024. Greenblatt said combating antisemitism ultimately required education and long-term cultural change.

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US anti-hate chief slams Anthony Albanese’s ‘fecklessness’ after Bondi Beach attack

JAMES DOWLING and BIMINI PLESSER - July 29, 2026

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The leader of the most high-profile Jewish body in the US has urged Anthony Albanese to progress past his “fecklessness” post-Bondi by embracing social media reforms suggested by the antisemitism royal commission and lobbying for an international regulator on tech giants.

Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive and national director of the American Anti-Defamation League, in an exclusive interview with The Australian, has lobbied for a global watchdog on social media platforms akin to international conventions on maritime law after the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion earlier this month foreshadowed sweeping social media reforms, including a potential licensing framework with enforceable conduct rules for companies that would hold their ability to operate in Australia at stake.

Mr Greenblatt, speaking ahead of a visit to Australia, has been chief executive of the ADL for 12 years after serving in the Democratic administrations of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Advocating his vision for the future of tech regulation, he suggested a model that could inoculate middle powers from well-funded tech giants based outside their jurisdictions acting with impunity.

“These entities are companies with private ownership, and yet they operate like utilities with massive public reach that requires equal access. So I think one of the things you need to do in Australia and the US is we need a kind of collaboration,” he said.

“Much like we have the International Atomic Energy Administration and we have other entities that do things like maritime law … I think you need mechanisms because these companies are global in nature.

“Our current models aren’t built for this, and we need a massive and rapid rethink because the corporatisation of our societies is not a good thing.”

The royal commission in its third hearing block focused on the corrosive impact social platforms have had on social fabric, institutional trust and antisemitism and made clear it was pondering policy recommendations that would upend the local approach to tech regulation.

It called multiple witnesses to discuss the viability of a digital duty of care, licensing agreements that would require platforms to seek registration to operate in Australia and an enforced definition of online hate.

The commission’s senior counsel assisting, Richard Lancaster, made clear the inquiry was set to recommend new standards for tech giants.

“The social media companies are not sufficiently addressing antisemitism online. Regulatory obligations must be imposed on them because they are not taking care of the problem themselves,” he said.

“If obligations are imposed on social media platforms, they must be capable of being enforced in Australia. If social media platforms are capable of inflicting harm, or are actually inflicting harm upon Australians, the laws of Australia must be capable of ­securing accountability for those harms.”

Mr Greenblatt said the royal commission’s illustration of antisemitism through its hearings put a clear burden on the Albanese government to decisively pursue the implementation of its findings and recommendations.

“Getting the online environment in check seems to me a very smart place to prioritise,” he said. “It has such a totalising effect on all these other factors, amplifying them, accelerating them.

“These hearings are demonstrating how antisemitism (has) permeated all parts of your society: education, workplaces, healthcare, the media, the arts and, of course, online. We see some parallels in the US and in other liberal societies and other open democracies.

“Your commission is demonstrating the totality of the problem and its scope. It feels similar. I think obviously the real test is implementation.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24894870 (020932ZAUG26) Notable: COMMENTARY: I was shot at Bondi. Then the algorithm turned my attack into fodder for conspiracy theorists - "It has been said that “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes”. In the age of social media, algorithms and artificial intelligence, that old adage no longer captures reality. Today, a lie doesn’t simply travel faster than the truth. It travels at the speed of an algorithm. I know this first-hand. In late June I appeared before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion to recount what happened after I survived the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. While I was still in hospital recovering from surgery to remove bullet fragments from my head, AI-generated images portraying me as a “fraud”, a “crisis actor”, and the attack as a “false flag operation” were already spreading like wildfire across X, YouTube, Telegram and other platforms. Instead of recovering with my family, we found ourselves confronting a relentless torrent of abuse, threats and incitement. The deepfakes did more than spread lies. They sought to erase my experience, transforming me from a survivor of terrorism into the subject of a global conspiracy theory, thereby exposing my family and me to further abuse while I was still recovering in hospital. Despite being comprehensively debunked by major media organisations, many of those videos and posts remain online today, continuing to be viewed, shared and amplified. And despite repeated requests, the platforms refused to remove much of this demonstrably false content, while most of those responsible for creating and co-ordinating the campaign have never been publicly identified. This should concern every Australian because when algorithms reward engagement with such dangerous falsehoods it is not only individuals who are targeted but public trust itself becomes the casualty. My experience was deeply personal. But it also exposed something much bigger: in the digital age, hatred no longer spreads organically. It is recommended, amplified and monetised by social media platforms whose business models reward engagement, regardless of its consequences. When algorithms recommend and amplify hatred, dehumanisation and conspiracy theories, they do not simply threaten one community but corrode the trust, civility and shared values on which social cohesion itself depends."''''

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COMMENTARY: I was shot at Bondi. Then the algorithm turned my attack into fodder for conspiracy theorists

ARSEN OSTROVSKY - July 30, 2026

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It has been said that “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes”. In the age of social media, algorithms and artificial intelligence, that old adage no longer captures reality. Today, a lie doesn’t simply travel faster than the truth. It travels at the speed of an algorithm.

I know this first-hand. In late June I appeared before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion to recount what happened after I survived the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

While I was still in hospital recovering from surgery to remove bullet fragments from my head, AI-generated images portraying me as a “fraud”, a “crisis actor”, and the attack as a “false flag operation” were already spreading like wildfire across X, YouTube, Telegram and other platforms.

Instead of recovering with my family, we found ourselves confronting a relentless torrent of abuse, threats and incitement.

The deepfakes did more than spread lies. They sought to erase my experience, transforming me from a survivor of terrorism into the subject of a global conspiracy theory, thereby exposing my family and me to further abuse while I was still recovering in hospital.

Despite being comprehensively debunked by major media organisations, many of those videos and posts remain online today, continuing to be viewed, shared and amplified.

And despite repeated requests, the platforms refused to remove much of this demonstrably false content, while most of those responsible for creating and co-ordinating the campaign have never been publicly identified.

This should concern every Australian because when algorithms reward engagement with such dangerous falsehoods it is not only individuals who are targeted but public trust itself becomes the casualty.

My experience was deeply personal. But it also exposed something much bigger: in the digital age, hatred no longer spreads organically. It is recommended, amplified and monetised by social media platforms whose business models reward engagement, regardless of its consequences.

When algorithms recommend and amplify hatred, dehumanisation and conspiracy theories, they do not simply threaten one community but corrode the trust, civility and shared values on which social cohesion itself depends.

Words also have consequences and algorithms turbocharge those consequences. So, when hatred is left unchecked or actively recommended to millions online, it normalises prejudice, dehumanises entire communities and ultimately leads to violence.

That is why we should stop pretending that what happens online somehow matters less than what happens in the real world.

If someone stood outside a synagogue, school or shopping centre screaming antisemitic abuse, glorifying terrorism or spreading malicious lies about the victim of a terrorist attack, we would rightly condemn it. In many circumstances, police would become involved.

Yet somehow, when precisely the same conduct occurs online, it has become too easy to dismiss it as merely “content”, “engagement” or the unavoidable cost of life in the digital age.

This should not be normalised.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24894888 (020947ZAUG26) Notable: Prosecutors’ appeal gets nurses’ alleged ‘kill’ threat video returned to evidence - Commonwealth prosecutors have successfully appealed a decision excluding video allegedly showing former Sydney nurses Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir threatening Israeli patients, allowing the footage to be used at their criminal trial. A NSW District Court judge previously ruled the recording inadmissible because Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky had unlawfully recorded and shared a private conversation. Prosecutors argued the case would be “very, very much weakened” without the footage and noted Ilinsky was in Israel, where recording the conversation was legal. The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal overturned the exclusion, allowing prosecutors to use the video and Ilinsky's testimony. Both nurses deny using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, while Abu Lebdeh also denies threatening violence against a group.

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Prosecutors’ appeal gets nurses’ alleged ‘kill’ threat video returned to evidence

BIMINI PLESSER - July 31, 2026

Commonwealth prosecutors have successfully overturned a judge’s decision to exclude from evidence a video of two Sydney nurses allegedly threatening to kill Israeli patients ahead of their criminal trial.

Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir made global headlines last year after Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky – who has also been known by the last names Veifer and Ilinski – recorded them allegedly threatening violence against Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital. In the video, Mr Nadir allegedly suggested he had sent Israeli patients to “hell” while Ms Abu Lebdeh allegedly claimed she would “kill” Israelis rather than treat them.

Last month, NSW District Court judge Michael McHugh SC declared the viral clip was inadmissible and could not form part of the evidence against the nurses, as it was unlawful for Mr Ilinsky to have recorded and shared the private conversation.

Two weeks after the controversial decision was handed down, the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions lodged an appeal with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal to overturn it.

The matter appeared before Supreme Court judges Anthony Payne and James Emmett, and Chief Judge at Common Law Natalie Adams on July 24.

A commonwealth prosecutor told the judges the video should be reintroduced into evidence because without it, a jury could not reach a fair and fully-informed decision at trial.

“In the absence of the video, the crown case is indeed very, very much weakened,” he said.

The prosecutor also reminded the court that when Mr Ilinsky recorded the conversation, he was in Israel, where it’s legal to do so.

Mr Nadir’s barrister, Greg James KC, said regardless of where Mr Ilinsky was at the time, the conversation he recorded occurred, at least in part, in NSW and should be subject to local law.

The barrister said the video could not be allowed to be used as evidence, as it was recorded “clandestinely”, or at least without overt permission.

On Friday, Justices Payne, Emmett, and Adams granted the prosecution’s appeal, overturning Judge McHugh’s decision to rule the video out of evidence.

With the video reintroduced into evidence, the prosecution will be able to use both the footage and Mr Ilinsky’s testimony in their case against the nurses when their trial begins on August 31.

Most of Judge McHugh’s original judgment about the video was suppressed and only limited reasons for his decision were released publicly last month. The reason for the suppression was not aired in open court.

Judge McHugh found evidence ­obtained illegally should only be allowed into court if “the desirability of admission outweighs the undesirability of admitting evidence that has been obtained in such a way or ways”.

The former Bankstown Hospital nurses have both pleaded not guilty to using a carriage ­service to menace, harass or offend, and Ms Abu Lebdeh has pleaded not guilty to an ­additional charge of threatening violence to a group.

They have been stood down from their jobs by NSW Health and issued a two-year ban from working with NDIS participants.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/prosecutors-appeal-gets-nurses-alleged-kill-threat-video-returned-to-evidence/news-story/e1420672ff2746af376dd061d165e030

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24894894 (021000ZAUG26) Notable: Kawsar Abbas and Zeinab Ahmad: Mother and daughter plead not guilty to enslaving Yazidi girl for Islamic State - Melbourne mother and daughter Kawsar Abbas and Zeinab Ahmad have pleaded not guilty to slavery offences over the alleged enslavement of a young Yazidi girl in Syria during the Islamic State caliphate. The pair will stand trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria next month in what will be Australia's first prosecutions for crimes against humanity. Police allege Abbas travelled from Melbourne to Syria with three children in 2014 and later lived under Islamic State rule while her husband and sons fought for the organisation. The alleged victim was purchased at a slave market by Mohammed Ahmad and subsequently kept in the family's Syrian home. Abbas remains on strict bail conditions, while Ahmad remains in custody after being denied bail.

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Kawsar Abbas and Zeinab Ahmad: Mother and daughter plead not guilty to enslaving Yazidi girl for Islamic State

MOHAMMAD ALFARES - July 31, 2026

A mother and daughter accused of enslaving a young Yazidi girl in Syria during the height of the Islamic State Caliphate have pleaded not guilty to serious slavery offences.

Kawsar Abbas and her daughter, Zeinab Ahmad, entered their pleas during a brief committal mention at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Both women will now stand trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria next month, kicking off Australia’s first prosecutions for crimes against humanity.

The pair were arrested after a dramatic return to Melbourne from the squalid Roj detention camp in northeast Syria.

Bail was extended for Ms Abbas ahead of the trial, while Ms Ahmad remains in custody following a denied bail application in June by Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan.

While on bail, Ms Abbas was charged with possessing a slave, using a slave and engaging in slave trading, with each count carrying a maximum term of 25 years imprisonment.

Her daughter faces two charges that relate to the enslavement of the same alleged victim.

A police summary delivered by Detective Senior Constable Marc Clendenning during the bail hearings detailed the shocking testimony of the alleged Yazidi victim, who the pair allegedly helped keep in their Syrian home after she was purchased by Mohammed Ahmad from a slave market.

Police allege Ms Abbas travelled from Melbourne to Syria in 2014 with three of her children after the Islamic State had declared its caliphate and after attacks on the Yazidi people had begun. Police allege she later lived under ISIS rule while her husband and sons fought for the organisation.

Among the matters relied upon by police are allegations that Ms Abbas encouraged her mother - who she resides with now - to join her in Syria because they were “on the right religious path”.

Ultimately, she was granted bail and released into the community under strict conditions.

Her daughter was denied bail after Ms Hannan found that she posed an unacceptable risk to the community.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/mother-and-daughter-plead-not-guilty-to-enslaving-yazidi-girl-for-islamic-state/news-story/62307b21d5feb2470fa5bc09ba8775ab

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24898112 (030921ZAUG26) Notable: American anti-hate chief honours Bondi victims with stark warning on antisemitism - (Video) Anti-Defamation League chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt has visited Sydney's Archer Park to honour the 15 people killed in the Bondi terrorist attack, warning Australian politicians that “the whole world is watching” their response to antisemitism. After touring the attack site with Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin, Greenblatt said it was “gut-wrenching” to see where victims were killed while celebrating Hanukkah. He rejected claims antisemitic protests were simply anti-Israel, arguing “words have consequences” and rhetoric can provoke real-world violence. Greenblatt said the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion should ensure Australian Jews receive “equal treatment”, while Ryvchin described its examination of protests, hate and policing as “absolutely critical” and long overdue.

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American anti-hate chief honours Bondi victims with stark warning on antisemitism

BIMINI PLESSER - 3 August 2026

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The leader of the most high-­profile Jewish body in the US has used his trip to Sydney to honour the 15 innocents killed in the Bondi terror attack and remind Australian politicians “the world is watching” how they respond to the antisemitism crisis.

American Anti-Defamation League chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt visited Archer Park, the site of Australia’s worst terror attack, and met with survivors and local Jewish leaders on Monday morning.

Standing before a memorial in the heart of the park, Mr Greenblatt pointed behind him and said: “This is what globalising intifada looks like. It’s not anti-Israel. It’s pro-hate to harass Jewish people for what’s happening on the other side of the world.

“And the idea that it’s just rhetoric … it always starts with words, but words have consequences, and rhetoric can ignite real-world action. We need to have the kind of moral cohesion to recognise the consequences of unvarnished, ugly hate directed at a single group of people again and again.

“We know that Jewish people across the country have been harassed. It’s not just not OK. It’s deeply, profoundly, morally reprehensible.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin took Mr Greenblatt on a sombre tour of the park. They walked up the stairs of the footbridge where, on December 14, 2025, two gunmen opened fire on a crowd of innocents celebrating Hanukkah.

Standing above the park, Mr Ryvchin painted a picture of devastation, pointing out where the shooting began, where heroes lost their lives trying to stop the violence, and where Jews, young and old, fled for their lives.

He also showed Mr Greenblatt a metal pole that was struck by a bullet during the attack to demonstrate the sheer size of the bullets that were fired. As they walked towards a memorial in the heart of the park, Mr Ryvchin spoke about each of the 15 victims and the tight-knit Jewish community left devastated.

Mr Greenblatt said it was “very emotional” to see the site for himself. “It is gut-wrenching to see the memorial in the faces of these people … Jews and non-Jews, young people and old people, men and women, grandparents and grandchildren, again, whose only offence was their identity,” he said.

Mr Greenblatt’s visit preceded the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission’s probe into protests, hate and how they’re policed. The American criticised those who dismissed antisemitic hate and harassment as “just anti-Zionist or anti-Israel”.

“We need to shed this illusion that these protests are anti-Israel. They are not. They are pro-hate. They are pro-incitement,” he said.

Mr Greenblatt said he trusted Australia’s Jewish community to hold the government to account and ensure the royal commission “does what it needs to do, which is to make sure that Australian Jews don’t get special treatment; that they get equal treatment”.

“Just making sure that Jewish people in Australia, in America or anywhere else, can show up, can worship, can work, can live as freely as their compatriots of other ethnicities and faiths. That’s it,” he said.

“The whole world is watching what happens here … the ball is in the court of the government, and we are watching to see how they respond.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24898118 (030930ZAUG26) Notable: COMMENTARY: ASIO named the threat, so why won’t the royal commission? - "The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion appears to be at risk of being contaminated with the same rhetoric of denialism that has infected just about every other institution in our county, the media included. This week it will hold its eighth hearing block into the country’s deadliest terrorist attack by looking into key drivers of antisemitism in Australia. In its preamble to this week’s event, it states it will examine how people are being radicalised and the influence of preachers and “authority figures who incite hate”. It specifically cites “religious, far right and other ideologically motivated extremism and radicalisation” as its targets for this purpose. That’s all reasonable enough until you consider the obvious omission many seem unable to utter publicly: left-wing extremism. Perhaps in the minds of some, if you don’t name it doesn’t exist. Of course, the argument will be made that left-wing extremism is implied in the broader category of “other ideologically motivated extremism”. If that’s the case, then why exclude it from a statement that identifies right-wing extremism? This would be justifiable if the threat vector weighed substantially towards one group, which as ASIO itself suggests is not the case. In its defence, the public debate has been prone to highlighting “right-wing” threats because these groups tend to organise under highly visible banners, such as displays of uniform or ridiculous marches. On the other hand, radical anarchists or extreme left-wing violence in Australia is typically decentralised and tends to be more issue-specific, centred on themes such as climate change or, more recently, Israel. They are often single actors or small groups hidden within broader crowds, such as the pro-Palestinian marches. Perhaps their only identifying physical feature is the use of black balaclavas."''''

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COMMENTARY: ASIO named the threat, so why won’t the royal commission?

SIMON BENSON - 3 August 2026

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The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion appears to be at risk of being contaminated with the same rhetoric of denialism that has infected just about every other institution in our county, the media included.

This week it will hold its eighth hearing block into the country’s deadliest terrorist attack by looking into key drivers of antisemitism in Australia. In its preamble to this week’s event, it states it will examine how people are being radicalised and the influence of preachers and “authority figures who incite hate”.

It specifically cites “religious, far right and other ideologically motivated extremism and radicalisation” as its targets for this purpose. That’s all reasonable enough until you consider the obvious omission many seem unable to utter publicly: left-wing extremism. Perhaps in the minds of some, if you don’t name it doesn’t exist. Of course, the argument will be made that left-wing extremism is implied in the broader category of “other ideologically motivated extremism”. If that’s the case, then why exclude it from a statement that identifies right-wing extremism?

This would be justifiable if the threat vector weighed substantially towards one group, which as ASIO itself suggests is not the case. In its defence, the public debate has been prone to highlighting “right-wing” threats because these groups tend to organise under highly visible banners, such as displays of uniform or ridiculous marches. On the other hand, radical anarchists or extreme left-wing violence in Australia is typically decentralised and tends to be more issue-specific, centred on themes such as climate change or, more recently, Israel.

They are often single actors or small groups hidden within broader crowds, such as the pro-Palestinian marches. Perhaps their only identifying physical feature is the use of black balaclavas. But the blunder over definitions, intentional or not, has become commonplace and now seems to go beyond a simple explanation, such as the refusal of the progressive left to recognise extremism on its side of politics.

Refusing to identify left-wing extremism alongside the far right as a key driver of antisemitism and, increasingly, a vehicle for acts of violence not only undermines efforts to understand antisemitism but inadvertently legitimises dangerous and violent forms of it.

Despite repeated efforts by ASIO boss Mike Burgess to educate not only the public but also politicians – on all sides – about the importance of language in national security, this exclusion of far-left extremism persists. Burgess began to call this out in a speech to the Lowy Institute in November last year, a month before the Bondi Beach massacre. He identified three groups that, while not engaged in terrorism as defined by law, were intent on destroying social cohesion.

One was Hizb ut Tahrir, the second was the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network and the third grouping was identified as anarchists and revolutionaries – in other words, left-wing extremists. It is the third group that no one seems to want to talk about.

“While nationalist and racist violent extremists make up the significant majority of our investigations into ideologically motivated extremism, events in the Middle East triggered a troubling increase in anarchist and revolutionary extremism,” Burgess said in that speech.

Far-left extremist actors were not as centrally controlled or uniformly motivated or disciplined as the National Socialist Network, Burgess said. But that doesn’t mean they don’t pose an equal measure of risk and harm as they are becoming increasingly willing to embrace or threaten violence to achieve their goals.

More recently they have been far likelier to be behind arson attacks and anti-authoritarianism than neo-Nazis, as offensive and appalling as they are.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24904652 (051014ZAUG26) Notable: ‘Should be answering questions, not asking them’: Matilda’s father and Jewish leader condemn protesters - The father of Bondi terror attack victim Matilda Bee and Jewish leaders have criticised pro-Palestine groups for using the antisemitism royal commission to question witnesses about Israel rather than domestic antisemitism. Michael Britvan questioned why organisations he described as supporters of terrorists were permitted to cross-examine witnesses. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin accused the groups of trying to “hijack” proceedings and said they “should be answering for their abominable actions, not asking the questions”. NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip was questioned about Israeli military actions while giving evidence about the October 9, 2023 Opera House protest. Commissioner Virginia Bell eventually intervened when questioning continued about Palestinian casualties and Israel.

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‘Should be answering questions, not asking them’: Matilda’s father and Jewish leader condemn protesters

BIMINI PLESSER - 5 August 2026

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The father of the Bondi terror ­attack’s youngest victim has ­accused the royal commission of giving a platform to organisations that support terrorism, as he joins the nation’s top Jewish body in condemning pro-Palestine protest groups for trying to hijack the inquiry’s hearing on anti­semitic protests with “clickbait theatrics and gratuitous slurs against Israel”.

On a day when the antisemitism royal commission investigated the pro-Palestine protest at the Sydney Opera House where crowds chanted “f*ck the Jews” on October 9, 2023, a Jewish leader was pressed on Israel’s military action and Palestinian death tolls instead of domestic antisemitism.

Lawyers for Palestine Action Group – which organised Sydney’s infamous February protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit – and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network were allowed to cross-examine NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip during Tuesday’s hearing.

With PAG organiser Josh Lees attending the hearing, Mr Ossip rebuffed the group’s lawyer, Dominic Toomey, after he pressed him on specific Israeli air strikes on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

“This is the Royal Commission on Antisemitism. We’re dealing with the protests where protesters shouted out, ‘F the Jews’, ‘Where are the Jews’, and ‘I’m going to kill them all’, and I’m a bit confused as to why we’re getting caught up in the minutiae of the timeline of a foreign military operation,” Mr Ossip said.

Royal commissioner Virginia Bell had to step in when APAN’s counsel, Ragni Mathur SC, followed a similar line of ­questioning.

The lawyers’ attempts to shift the hearing’s focus away from antisemitism and towards Israel drew strong criticism from the Jewish community, including from Michael Britvan, father of 10-year-old Bondi attack victim, Matilda Bee.

Mr Britvan told The Australian he couldn’t understand why the commission allowed the protest groups, via their lawyers, to cross-examine witnesses.

“What I struggle to understand is why supporters of terrorists were allowed to be there in the first place, let alone use the royal commission to ask questions that shift the focus away from the antisemitism that led to it,” Mr Britvan said.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin shared the grieving father’s frustrations.

“It is deeply concerning that these groups predictably used the opportunity to hijack an examination of lethal antisemitism for their clickbait theatrics and ­gratuitous slurs against Israel,” Mr Ryvchin said.

He told The Australian the protest groups were in no position to ask questions at the royal commission.

“These groups have tried to use a royal commission called in the wake of the Bondi horror - where I and so many others lost loved ones - to prosecute the actions of a country they loathe,” Mr Ryvchin said.

“They are attempting to redirect the eye because they are culpable for the demonisation of Australian Jews to the extent that we are now routinely threatened, harassed and abused.

“They normalised egregious lies of genocide and child-killing which in turn positions anti-Jewish actions as noble and courageous. They should be answering for their abominable actions, not asking the questions.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24904660 (051022ZAUG26) Notable: NSW Premier Chris Minns slams lawyers for ‘disappointing’ royal commission questions - NSW Premier Chris Minns has criticised lawyers for two pro-Palestine groups for shifting their cross-examination of Jewish leader David Ossip from Australian antisemitism towards Israel’s military actions and Palestinian deaths. Minns said the questioning by counsel for Palestine Action Group and Australia Palestine Advocacy Network was “disappointing” and did not reflect the hearings’ purpose. Royal commissioner Virginia Bell defended APAN counsel Ragni Mathur, saying procedural fairness required allowing limited questioning because Ossip had expressed views about Israel’s conduct following the October 7 Hamas attack. Bell also condemned “truly abusive, Islamophobic emails” sent to Mathur following the hearing. Palestine Action Group defended the cross-examination, saying allegations against the Palestinian solidarity movement deserved proper examination and accusing critics of seeking to discredit the anti-war movement.

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NSW Premier Chris Minns slams lawyers for ‘disappointing’ royal commission questions

BIMINI PLESSER and LACHLAN LEEMING - 5 August 2026

NSW Premier Chris Minns has condemned a line of questioning pursued by legal counsel for two pro-Palestine protest groups at Tuesday’s antisemitism royal commission hearing.

Lawyers for Palestine Action Group and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network were given leave to cross-examine witness David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, during the hearing.

Mr Minns on Wednesday criticised their cross-examination for shifting the focus of the hearing from protests and hate in Australia towards a foreign military’s ­actions. “David Ossip showed real courage in coming forward to give evidence about antisemitism in Australia and the impact on the Jewish community,” he said in comments first reported by News24.

“The idea that the focus shifted from antisemitism in Australia to testing a witness on foreign policy by the lawyers representing PAG and APAN is disappointing and doesn’t reflect the purpose of these hearings.”

Mr Ossip had been pressed on Israel’s military actions and Palestinian death tolls while under cross-examination from PAG and APAN’s counsel. The cross-examination drew criticism from the Jewish community, including Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin, who accused the lawyers of trying to “hijack an examination of lethal anti­semitism for clickbait theatrics and ­gratuitous slurs against Israel”.

Royal commissioner Virginia Bell on Wednesday rejected Mr Ryvchin’s claims, saying APAN’s counsel, Ragni Mathur, “did not hijack this royal commission”.

“Ms Mathur was appearing for an organisation whose interests were substantially and directly affected by the subject matter of yesterday’s hearing, in that trenchant criticism was being made of the representatives of that organisation,” she said.

“Ms Mathur’s cross-examination proceeded based upon a limited grant of leave. The leave was limited to paragraph 51 of the statement of Mr Ossip. In that paragraph, Mr Ossip expressed his opinion about the conduct of the state of Israel in the period immediately following the attack by the terrorist group Hamas on Israel (on October 7, 2023).

“Ms Mathur sought on behalf of her client to put matters that challenged the factual basis for the formation of that aspect of Mr Ossip’s opinion. She was granted leave to do that because procedural fairness … demanded it.”

Justice Bell said she was notified that Ms Mathur had received “a series of truly abusive, Islamophobic emails” overnight.

“Counsel appearing for groups before this royal commission … should no more be the subject of Islamophobic or other attacks than should members of the Jewish community who have come before and given evidence, and who have been subjected to vile antisemitic attacks,” she said.

“It doesn’t reflect well on those who make either antisemitic or Islamophobic attacks on the interests they seek to promote.”

Palestine Action Group responded on Wednesday afternoon.

“Since the royal commission began, those justifying Israel’s genocide in Gaza have slandered the Palestine solidarity movement,” a spokesman said in a statement.

“Our legal team was granted leave to cross examine (sic), to subject those allegations to proper examination. We are disturbed by the way figures like Ryvchin have used this commission to denounce the anti-war movement that reflects the majority of opinion in this country.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nsw-premier-slams-lawyers-for-disappointing-royal-commission-questions/news-story/ed580d5d4bdeb0ac85a2a9ed886617f1

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24904681 (051029ZAUG26) Notable: Former neo-Nazi shares deradicalisation journey at antisemitism inquiry - A former neo-Nazi has told the antisemitism royal commission how relationships outside extremist circles helped him realise he had been sold a “load of lies”. The unidentified man, referred to as ADC, joined an Australian neo-Nazi organisation in the early 2000s after experiences including isolation and an assault he believed was handled unjustly. He initially left in 2007 but returned after a relationship breakdown, saying he “drifted back to what I knew”. ADC finally departed in 2013 after friendships with people from different ethnic backgrounds challenged his beliefs and showed him “true brotherhood”. His wife and the deradicalisation program Exit helped him remain disengaged. ADC is now seeking removal of neo-Nazi tattoos, saying they are “not part of who I am anymore”.

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Former neo-Nazi shares deradicalisation journey at antisemitism inquiry

Phoebe Pin - 5 August 2026

A reformed neo-Nazi says he cut ties with an extremist organisation after realising he was being sold a "load of lies", the antisemitism royal commission has heard.

The man, who cannot be identified, was called to give evidence about his deradicalisation at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on Wednesday.

The royal commission is examining how programs and policies could support people vulnerable to extremist ideologies.

ADC, as he was referred to, told the inquiry of the path that drew him towards neo-Nazi organisations more than two decades ago.

He said it was difficult to pinpoint a moment where early intervention could have prevented him from becoming radicalised.

"It's those little things that jade you," he said.

However, he said he was determined not to allow himself or his children to be "so closed to other cultures" and the "rest of the world".

"If that had been more the way when I was younger, I think that would have kept me going in a different direction," ADC said.

"There's no excuses, I made my own decisions. But I can look back now and think … things could have been different."

The 'pivotal point'

Born to British migrants in Victoria in the 1970s, ADC said he grew up in a "British-centric" household and struggled to fit in at school and with his peers.

"I couldn't read and write … I sort of just floated through school," he said.

The commission heard he was exposed to a range of conservative and anti-immigration views during his childhood from his mother, and from the members of an alternative subculture known as the skinheads.

ADC said he held some of the views of his right-wing counterparts, but did not become an active member of the community until he joined a neo-Nazi group in Australia in the early 2000s, becoming a patched member of the organisation in 2005.

He said it followed a tumultuous time in his life, including an incident where he was assaulted by someone from a minority community during his time with an overseas defence force.

ADC sustained a fractured skull and torn retina and said he became frustrated when his attacker was not prosecuted.

"I felt extremely angry … like I'd been through a process that was completely unjustified," he said.

"[The incident was] I see as quite a pivotal point in me changing and becoming extremely active in the right wing [group]."

'A good hard look at myself'

ADC said he "felt a great affinity towards" the members of his neo-Nazi group.

"They were educated, they were fit, they were the ideal that I liked to look for, as well," he said.

His feelings began to change after he started to form relationships with others outside the group, including members of minority groups through his work in the private sector.

ADC quit the neo-Nazi organisation in 2007 for about 12 months, before returning following a significant relationship breakdown and a feeling of isolation.

"I was quite alone and I really just drifted back to what I knew," he said.

The second and final time he left the organisation was in 2013 after he met his now-wife and experienced adversity due to his extremist views.

"I've had people explain to me they would rather hang out with a murderer than someone like me," he said.

"I'd also been doing work where … I had been mixing with people of all different ethnicities and after taking a good hard look at myself I realised that the people around me were not upholding the brotherhood and the standards I always upheld myself.

"But the people who didn't engage in any of those organisations and even some of these people of different ethnicities were the people that actually had my back and showed true brotherhood.

"I decided [the neo-Nazi group] was all a load of lies and I needed to leave and reinvent myself."

Push to remove tattoos

ADC said one of the "falsehoods" told to members of extremist groups was that they were "the good guys".

"You are striving for the great white hope, things like that, but once you get exposed to things outside … you start to see in society you are actually the bad guys," he said.

"It's all about self-preservation, they are just angry people with nowhere to direct their anger."

ADC said the support of his wife had been key to his ability to stay disengaged with the neo-Nazi group, and he had also sought assistance through a program called Exit, which helps people looking to leave extremist communities.

He said he was now seeking to have large tattoos with neo-Nazi connotations removed.

"I don't want them on my body … they're not part of who I am anymore," he said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-05/nsw-royal-commission-antisemitism-reformed-neo-nazi-testimony/106999942

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24904696 (051041ZAUG26) Notable: Arson attack on Victorian defence manufacturer Lovitt Technologies investigated as ‘far-left terror’ - (Video) Australian counter-terrorism authorities are investigating a 2025 arson attack on Melbourne defence manufacturer Lovitt Technologies as a potential act of far-left terrorism motivated by anarchist and revolutionary ideology. Three vehicles were set alight and a building graffitied, while a subsequent video threatened the company to “stop arming Israel or else” and included firebomb-making instructions. The company was targeted over its involvement in the F-35 fighter jet program, which includes Israel. Victoria Police, the AFP and ASIO are seeking to identify those responsible. AFP Detective Superintendent Anthony Hall said authorities “will not tolerate acts of terror motivated by extremist ideologies”. ASIO chief Mike Burgess has previously warned of increasing anarchist and revolutionary extremism linked to Middle East tensions.

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Arson attack on Victorian defence manufacturer Lovitt Technologies investigated as 'far-left terror'

Tom Lowrey and Stephen Dziedzic - 5 August 2026

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An arson attack on a Victorian defence manufacturer last year is being investigated as an act of far-left terror.

Lovitt Industries, based in Melbourne's north-east, was targeted in July last year, with three vehicles set alight and a building graffitied.

A video released after the attack, purporting to be from a group responsible for the attack, further threatened the manufacturer with a message to "stop arming Israel or else".

Joint counter-terror authorities have now revealed the incident is being investigated as a terror attack, "potentially orchestrated by far-left extremists with anarchist and revolutionary ideologies".

The ABC has been told it is the first time Australian authorities have investigated what they consider to be a potential far-left terror attack, motivated by anarchist and revolutionary ideology.

The counter-terror team, made up of officers from Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and ASIO, have released images from the video, along with images from the attack, in the hope of identifying those responsible.

A speaker in the video, dressed in black and standing before a Palestinian flag, says Lovitt Technologies was targeted for supplying parts to the global F-35 fighter jet program, of which both Australia and Israel are members.

It also included instructions on how to make similar firebombs to those used in the arson attack.

In a statement, AFP Detective Superintendent Anthony Hall said police were progressing in their investigation.

"We clearly have some information about these alleged offenders and are focused on identifying who they are,'' he said.

"We cannot overstate the seriousness of this criminality and the AFP, together with our partners, will not tolerate acts of terror motivated by extremist ideologies aiming to cause fear and anguish in our community."

Lovitt Technologies Australia declined to comment on the police announcement.

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll called the revelation "deeply distressing".

"I've had initial advice that Australian Federal Police have deemed this as a terrorist attack. That is frightening for any Victorian," he said.

"I thank the Australian Federal Police though, and VicPol for their ongoing work in this matter.

"They will have the resources and support they need to get to the bottom of this."

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion told the ABC it was worrying that those behind the Greensborough attack were still on the run.

"It is concerning that we have people like this loose within the community because clearly they've been radicalised in a particular way," he said.

"We can't have those kinds of people, that is to say radicalised people who believe violence is the solution, operating with impunity on Australian soil."

Mr Aghion said he was not surprised authorities were treating the arson as an act of terror because he believed political and religious views in Australia were becoming increasingly polarised.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24907562 (061032ZAUG26) Notable: Teen misogyny fuels rise in racism and extremism in schools, expert tells royal commission - Misogyny among young Australians is closely linked to growing support for racism and violent extremism, the antisemitism royal commission has heard. University of Melbourne lecturer Sara Meger said a survey of 511 Australian teachers found about 25 per cent had encountered student extremism or violence, including swastikas, rape jokes, praise for Adolf Hitler and antisemitic remarks. Teachers reported increasing hostility towards women, with “manosphere” figures such as Andrew Tate cited as an influence. Meger said young boys and men aged 10 to 24 comprise more than two-thirds of the Home Affairs Department’s countering violent extremism caseload. Her research found hostile attitudes towards women and racial groups were strong predictors of extremist sympathies, with acceptance of violence against women the strongest indicator of support for violent extremism.

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Teen misogyny fuels rise in racism and extremism in schools, expert tells royal commission

BIMINI PLESSER - 6 August 2026

The antisemitism royal commission has heard accounts of young Australian students painting swastikas on school walls, saying Jewish people deserve to be targeted by terrorists, and making rape jokes, as an expert warns young people are increasingly likely to turn to extremism.

The warning came from Sara Meger, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, who testified before the royal commission on Thursday morning.

She told the inquiry rates of misogyny and violence against women in Australia were directly linked to extremist violence, and both were increasingly common in young people.

Dr Meger’s research found Gen Z – young boys in particular – are more likely than older generations to support far-left or far-right extremism, and those attitudes are being expressed in Australian schools.

Dr Meger surveyed 511 teachers across Australia, and roughly 25 per cent reported having experienced some form of extremism or violence by students.

While both male and female teachers stated extremism in schools was “on the rise”, students were “more hostile towards female teachers”, Dr Meger said.

Educators “frequently noted very hostile misogynistic attitudes expressed by students”, citing “manosphere” figures such as Andrew Tate as a key influence, she said, but also noted “a degree of racism and celebration of overseas political violence being expressed by students”.

The commission heard several examples of the extremism reported by teachers, including swastikas painted on walls, teenage boys making rape jokes, students stating they wished Adolf Hitler was still alive and that he’d “finish the job”, and a Muslim student suggesting Jewish people deserved to be targeted by terrorists.

“As qualitative research on the manosphere has shown, there’s a lot of slippage between the misogyny and racist or white supremacist attitudes that become expressed,” Dr Meger said.

“That’s also helping us understand the conflation (between misogyny and general extremism) in the teacher responses when asked about extremist attitudes.”

Dr Meger told the commission that she learned in December that more than two-thirds of the Home Affairs Department’s “countering violent extremism caseload is taken up by young boys and men between the ages of 10 and 24”.

“They’re massively over-represented in our countering violent extremism efforts,” she said.

“This sort of information is replicated in sociological research that has found young people are more likely to hold more polarised (extreme left or right) political beliefs.”

Dr Meger said “hostile attitudes towards women, and racist attitudes, were very strong predictors of support for all forms of extremism” and the most reliable predictor that someone might support violent extremism.

“The one thing we measure that was most likely to be able to predict if someone supported any of the forms of violent extremism was their attitudes about violence, the permissibility of violence against women, and how those attitudes sort of formed a constellation with these more hostile gender attitudes,” she said.

The royal commission is currently hearing from a range of security and extremism experts in its eighth hearing block, a probe into the drivers of antisemitism in Australia.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/teen-misogyny-fuels-rise-in-racism-and-extremism-in-schools-expert-tells-royal-commission/news-story/97a792179736009803f44c7bd5a0fc77

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24907592 (061100ZAUG26) Notable: Iranian footballers who defied Tehran granted Australian citizenship - Iranian footballers Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh have become Australian citizens five months after defying Tehran during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The pair were among players who remained silent during Iran’s national anthem in solidarity with anti-regime protests before seeking asylum in Australia. Iranian state media branded the team “wartime traitors”, while seven players initially received humanitarian protection. Five later withdrew their claims amid alleged intimidation and threats against relatives in Iran, but Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh maintained theirs. The women subsequently trained without head coverings with Brisbane Roar’s A-League Women’s squad and are rebuilding their sporting careers in Queensland. Brisbane Roar congratulated the pair after their Brisbane citizenship ceremony, declaring: “Queensland is their home now” and leaving the door open for their return to training.

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Iranian footballers who defied Tehran granted Australian citizenship

DEAN KERRISON - August 05, 2026

Five months after defying Tehran by refusing to sing the Islamic Republic’s national anthem on Australian soil, two Iranian national footballers have become Aus­tralian citizens at a ceremony in Brisbane on Wednesday.

The citizenship ceremony for Fatemeh Pasandideh, 22, and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, 34, caps off a harrowing geopolitical drama that began during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in March, when the two elite athletes sparked international headlines by seeking asylum alongside ­several teammates.

“I’m very excited,” Pasandideh told The Australian outside the Department of Home Affairs building.

Pasandideh and Ramezan­isa­deh were the only two players from the initial defection group to maintain their humanitarian visa claims, standing firm despite relentless pressure and threat campaigns directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against defectors and their families back home.

The duo’s journey to citizenship was a dramatic narrative of personal courage under extreme duress. Ahead of their opening Asian Cup match against South Korea on the Gold Coast in March, members of the team remained silent during the Iranian national anthem in solidarity with domestic anti-regime protests.

Iranian state media quickly branded the team “wartime traitors” – a designation punishable by death under regime law – triggering widespread fear for the players’ safety.

While seven squad members were initially granted humanitarian protection in a federal government operation, five team­mates eventually withdrew their claims following targeted intimidation and coercive messaging from IRGC enforcers threatening family members in Iran.

Pasandideh and Ramezanis­adeh stood their ground, resisting coercion before being welcomed into Queensland’s football community, where they removed head coverings to train with the Brisbane Roar A-League Women’s squad.

A Brisbane Roar spokesperson on Wednesday said: “Congratulations to Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh. What they have been through since February is more than most people deal with in a lifetime, and to see them arrive at this point is something everyone here at Brisbane Roar is glad to have had a small part in. Queensland is their home now. If they ever want to pull on a training top and come back out with us, the door will always stay open.”

Since accepting Australia’s offer of safe haven, both women have taken steps towards rebuilding their elite sporting careers in Queensland.

Brisbane Roar chief executive Kaz Patafta previously welcomed the pair to the club’s training facilities, pledging to “remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages.”

Wednesday’s celebration stands in contrast to the uncertain fate of their former national teammates, including team captain Zahra Ghanbari and star midfielder Mohaddeseh Zolfi. While state media in March Iran trumpeted the returning players as having rejected the West, human rights monitors and diaspora leaders said they faced severe monitoring, travel bans and potential judicial retribution.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/iranian-footballers-who-defied-tehran-granted-australian-citizenship/news-story/318409056c5cf0ae8174ead8c8de0949

https://www.instagram.com/atefeh_ramezani10/p/Dbr5kWyIKwu/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24914045 (080729ZAUG26) Notable: NSW judge throws out terrorism order for Sydney vandal Mohommed Farhat, ruling he was motivated by cash not hate - A NSW Supreme Court judge has rejected an application to place convicted vandal Mohommed Farhat under a terrorism extended supervision order, finding his offending was motivated by money rather than antisemitism or ideology. Farhat is serving 20 months for setting a vehicle alight and spray-painting cars and buildings with messages including “f*ck Israel”. Justice Desmond Fagan found earlier courts were not shown evidence supporting Farhat’s claim he had been anonymously recruited and offered $4000, including a $2000 cash deposit and CCTV showing a co-offender filming him committing the offences. Fagan also ruled that cursing Israel was not inherently antisemitic, distinguishing criticism of the state from hatred of Jewish people. He assessed Farhat’s future terrorism risk as insignificant and dismissed the supervision application.

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NSW judge throws out terrorism order for Sydney vandal Mohommed Farhat, ruling he was motivated by cash not hate

LIAM MENDES and BIMINI PLESSER - 7 August 2026

A NSW Supreme Court judge has thrown out a bid by authorities to place a man who was convicted and jailed over an antisemitic spree in Sydney’s eastern suburbs under a terrorism extended supervision order, because he was “not motivated by antisemitism”, contradicting findings by a local and district court judges who weren’t shown key evidence.

Mohommed Farhat, who has a Hezbollah tattoo on his neck, is currently serving a 20-month sentence for setting a vehicle on fire and spray painting 10 cars and four buildings, including celebrity chef Matt Moran’s Woollahra restaurant Chiswick, with the messages “f*ck Israel” and “PKK coming”.

The extraordinary Supreme Court decision means the 22-year-old will not be subject to an ongoing court-monitored supervision after his release, because he was found to have not been motivated by antisemitism or ideology, but by financial reward.

When granted by the Supreme Court, a terrorism extended supervision order allows for close supervision within the community if there is a “high degree of probability that the offender poses an unacceptable risk of committing a serious terrorism offence” if not placed under an order, with the safety of the community the “paramount” consideration of the court.

Judge Desmond Fagan found counter terrorism police accepted Farhat’s claim he was anonymously recruited via encrypted messaging app Signal and offered $4000 cash as truthful back in December 2024, but the detail was not disclosed to the sentencing judge, nor to the district court on appeal of his sentence.

In his judgment, handed down on July 30, Justice Fagan said the Local and District Court judges had erred in their decisions because they were never given key pieces of evidence.

These included bank statements that showed Farhat received a $2000 cash deposit before going on the vandalism spree and CCTV footage that showed his co-offender filming him committing the offences.

When Farhat stood for sentence in the Local Court in November 2025, he submitted a letter with the same explanation he’d given police the year prior, but the prosecution argued his version of events should not be accepted.

The prosecution also failed to inform the judge that police believed Farhat’s story and did not include the bank statement and CCTV in the case.

Without those pieces of evidence, the Local Court judge rejected Farhat’s claim he’d been recruited and, persuaded by the prosecutor, characterised “F.k Israel” as an antisemitic statement.

Justice Fagan said he believed the judge “erred in that regard”.

“The slogan is a curse against a foreign state. It does not convey hatred of or prejudice against Jewish people as a whole or against any Jewish person or people by reason of being Jewish,” he said in his judgement.

“Many Jewish people, including in Australia, are outspokenly and vehemently opposed to and critical of the state of Israel. The state of Israel is not co-extensive with Jewish people and reference to it or cursing it is not synonymous with reference to or cursing Jews.”

The Local Court decision resulted in Farhat’s offences being classified as aggravated offences motivated by racial or religious hatred or prejudice.

Farhat appealed the severity of his sentence in the District Court in January but, missing the same pieces of evidence, the judge came to the same conclusion; that the offending was motivated by religious hatred or prejudice.

Justice Fagan, after reading “extensive psychological reports” and documentary evidence and hearing oral submissions over four hearing days in court, ruled Farhat’s offending was not motivated by antisemitism or ideology.

“I do not consider the defendant poses any significant risk of committing a serious terrorism offence after he is released from prison without such an order and I assess the risk of him committing an offence of violence or property damage that would impinge upon the safety of the community as low,” he said in his judgement.

Justice Fagan dismissed the application for an extended terrorism supervision order over Farhat and ordered the State pay the 22-year-old’s legal costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/judge-throws-out-terror-order-for-vandal-ruling-he-was-motivated-by-cash-not-hate/news-story/5d11f4ddd7bc77e45c44c08a2a52738e

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Hate criminal sentenced to house arrest for anti-Semitic attacks motivated by money not hate - 25 November 2025

https://archive.vn/4OWXq#23900198

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24917062 (091123ZAUG26) Notable: Israeli influencer to testify in Sydney against nurses accused of death threats - (Video) Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky, known online as Max Veifer, will travel to Sydney to testify against two former Bankstown Hospital nurses accused of threatening Israeli patients during a recorded conversation. Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir have pleaded not guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, while Abu Lebdeh also denies threatening violence against a group. Ilinsky said Australian authorities would cover his travel and provide police transport and a court presence, although he is seeking additional licensed security. His testimony follows a NSW Supreme Court decision overturning an earlier ruling that excluded his video from evidence because it had been unlawfully recorded and shared. The criminal trial is scheduled to begin on August 31.

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Israeli influencer to testify in Sydney against nurses accused of death threats

BIMINI PLESSER - 9 August 2026

Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky has announced he will be flown to Australia and escorted by police to a Sydney courtroom to testify against two former nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients.

Mr Ilinsky – known online as Max Veifer – made global headlines last year after he recorded Bankstown nurses Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir allegedly threatening violence against Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital.

In the video, Mr Nadir allegedly suggested he had sent Israeli patients to “hell” while Ms Abu Lebdeh allegedly claimed she would “kill” Israelis rather than treat them.

On Sunday morning, he revealed his plan to travel to Sydney and give evidence at the nurses’ criminal trial, set to begin on August 31.

In a video shared on social media, the Israeli announced he would be “flying across the world to walk into an Australian courtroom and testify as a witness for the prosecution”.

“Millions of people saw (the video) and now I have officially been called to Australia to testify in person,” he said

“I’ll be there for almost a full week. The Australian authorities are covering my flights, hotels, meals, police transport and police presence at the court, and I’m truly grateful for that.”

Despite revealing he would be escorted to and from the courtroom by police, Mr Ilinsky said he was concerned about his safety and asked the Jewish community for help.

“I’m going to be completely honest with you, I’m still worried about my safety. Over the past year, I’ve received many threats because of my public work. People know my face, people know my name,” he said.

“And after everything that has happened recently in Australia and with antisemitism rising around the world and in Australia, I’m not taking any chances. We Jews have survived for thousands of years. We learned how to protect ourselves, protect each other and never take our safety for granted. So I’m going to do exactly that,” he said.

“I want to be as protected as possible from the moment I land, until the moment I leave. For any time not covered by the official security arrangements, I want extra licensed security with me. And that’s why today I’m asking for your help.

“The Jewish community in Australia, I need you. I need this video to reach Jewish community leaders, recognised Jewish organisations, community security groups, and licensed security companies that can help arrange extra protection. Everything must be professional. Everything must be licensed. Everything must be co-ordinated with the NSW Police … help me go there safely and come home safely.”

Mr Ilinsky concluded the video by reaffirming his commitment to testifying against the nurses.

“At the end of this month, I’m getting on that plane, I’m going to Australia, I’m walking into the courtroom, and I’m going to do exactly what I’ve been asked to do: answer every question honestly,” he said.

“All I want is for the truth to be heard and for justice to be done. The court will decide the rest. Let’s go in peace and come home in peace. See you in Australia. Am Israel chai (which means the people of Israel live).”

Mr Ilinsky’s announcement came less than two weeks after the NSW Supreme Court overturned a Local Court judge’s decision to exclude the video from evidence. Judge Judge Michael McHugh SC in June declared the viral clip was inadmissable and could not form part of the evidence against the nurses, as it was unlawful for Mr Ilinsky to have recorded and shared the private conversation.

Two weeks after the controversial decision was handed down, the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions lodged an appeal with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal to overturn it.

On July 31, Supreme Court judges Anthony Payne and James Emmett and Chief Judge at Common Law Natalie Adams granted the prosecution’s appeal, overturning Judge McHugh’s decision to rule the video out of evidence.

With the video reintroduced into evidence, the prosecution will be able to use both the footage and Mr Ilinsky’s testimony in their case against the nurses when their trial begins on August 31.

The former Bankstown Hospital nurses have both pleaded not guilty to using a carriage ­service to menace, harass or offend, and Ms Abu Lebdeh has pleaded not guilty to an ­additional charge of threatening violence to a group.

They have been stood down from their jobs by NSW Health and issued a two-year ban from working with NDIS participants.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/israeli-influencer-to-testify-in-sydney-against-nurses-accused-of-death-threats/news-story/848fb21170f5216589f0bced5c95f5ea

https://www.facebook.com/reel/4358324227721111

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24920109 (101108ZAUG26) Notable: ‘Distressing’: leaders shocked at Bondi royal commission’s snub of Josh Frydenberg from final hearings - Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has not been invited to testify at the final public hearings of the royal commission into antisemitism despite submitting evidence and requesting to appear. Former ASIO chief Dennis Richardson called the decision “puzzling”, citing Frydenberg’s standing as Australia’s most senior Jewish political figure and his work highlighting antisemitism. Sheina Gutnick, whose father Reuven Morrison was killed in the Bondi terror attack, said his experience and insight would add substantially to the commission. Former Labor MP Mike Kelly and University of Western Sydney chancellor Jennifer Westacott also urged reconsideration. Frydenberg said he wanted the commission to address antisemitism directed at Jewish Australians and recommend practical measures strengthening their protection and social cohesion.

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>>74988

‘Distressing’: leaders shocked at Bondi royal commission’s snub of Josh Frydenberg from final hearings

GEOFF CHAMBERS and NOAH YIM - 10 August 2026

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Prominent business, national security and ALP figures are calling on the royal commission into antisemitism to reconsider its “deeply distressing, surprising and puzzling” decision to exclude Josh Frydenberg – the highest-ranking Jewish-Australian government minister in history – from giving evidence.

A week after royal commission public hearings were hijacked by lawyers for pro-Palestine groups seeking to link Israeli government military action with the horrific rise of homegrown antisemitism, The Australian can reveal Mr Frydenberg has not been invited to appear at the final hearing block in Sydney from August 17-28. He was informed only on Friday that he would not be called to testify.

The former treasurer, who led criticism of the Albanese government’s response to the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14, sent his submission to the royal commission, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, about two months ago and made clear he wanted to be called as a witness.

As of Monday last week, the royal commission had heard from 206 witnesses at hearings and received 20,000 submissions and 697 phone inquiries.

Former bureaucrat and diplomat Dennis Richardson, hand-picked by Anthony Albanese to lead the initial government review into the Bondi terror attack before the Prime Minister succumbed to pressure on a royal commission, said it would be “puzzling” if Mr Frydenberg were not called to give evidence.

“Josh has been the most senior Jewish person in Australian politics and he occupies a leadership position that goes beyond the Jewish community. He has always been a moderate voice,” Mr Richardson told The Australian.

The former ASIO chief and secretary of the defence and foreign affairs departments said: “Given his standing in the broader Australian community, given his standing in the Jewish community, given what he has done to highlight antisemitism in this country, it would be very surprising if the royal commission did not invite him to give evidence in addition to his submission.”

Sheina Gutnick, daughter of Reuven Morrison, who was killed in the Bondi terror attack by father-and-son Islamic extremists, said “as we approach the final hearing blocks, it is surprising that we are yet to hear from someone with Josh’s depth of experience and insight”.

“I sincerely hope there remains an opportunity for his voice to be heard,” Ms Gutnick said.

“The royal commission has already heard powerful evidence that has laid bare the reality and impact of antisemitism in Australia. Josh Frydenberg is a voice that would add enormously to that work.”

Former federal Labor MP Mike Kelly, co-convener of Labor Friends of Israel, said he did not believe the “work of the commission will be complete unless they talk to people like Josh Frydenberg”.

“I hope and expect that that happens and then we’ll judge the royal commission when its work is complete,” Mr Kelly said.

University of Western Sydney chancellor Jennifer Westacott, a former long-time Business Council of Australia chief executive who sits on the Board of Guardians of Mr Frydenberg’s nonpartisan Dor Foundation established to fight antisemitism, said “it is extraordinary and deeply, deeply distressing that he is not called”.

“This is the most prominent political Jewish leader we’ve had in our history. This is a person who could’ve given great insight,” Professor Westacott told The Australian. “This is a person who knows how institutions work. This is the person who called for the commission. This is the person who put the documentary out warning that this was getting worse and worse.

“If you were putting a list of people together who had insight, who had lived experience – remembering this is a man who travels with tremendous security that most Australians couldn’t comprehend – he would be in your top five people to call.

“We’ve had some very important and compelling evidence from many prominent Australians; to not include this incredibly prominent Australian is extraordinary.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24920126 (101123ZAUG26) Notable: COMMENTARY: The royal commission must be the circuit breaker - "If the royal commission is going to make a real difference and turn back the tide of antisemitism, it must lay down new red lines that say clearly that we, as Australians, have zero tolerance for the people who fan the flames of hate and the places where it is fostered. If it does not, if it equivocates, if it hesitates, our society will continue to fragment and our quality of life will continue to deteriorate. It will be only a matter of time before there is no longer a thriving Jewish community in Australia. This is the time for big, bold and immediate action to right this wrong. For hard and, dare I say it, unpopular decisions, that go beyond anything we had previously contemplated. We are in a crisis of our own making with the country now at a tipping point. Our political and civic leaders have failed to fulfil their fundamental duty to protect the public. We are all less safe, Jew and non-Jew alike. Many of our leaders do not get it. They do not get the scale of the problem. They do not get the drivers of the problem. They do not know how to solve the problem. And this is why there was such strong public support for the establishment of a royal commission on antisemitism. It was not just because of Australia’s deadliest ever terrorist attack at Bondi, it was because the public had lost confidence in our government’s ability and willingness to do what is required to protect all Australians. What is required now is a policy of zero tolerance for antisemitism and hate, to drive it back to the fringes of society, where it belongs."''''

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>>74988

>>75020

COMMENTARY: The royal commission must be the circuit breaker

JOSH FRYDENBERG - 10 August 2026

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Last week, something happened at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion which brought into focus an issue at the heart of the problem we now confront.

Giving evidence about the pro-Palestinian protest on the steps of the Opera House on October 9, 2023, David Ossip, the president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, was cross-examined in the context of why these demonstrations were taking place.

It was put to him “you are aware aren’t you that Israeli Defence Force fighter jets began conducting airstrikes in the Gaza Strip around 5.30pm Sydney time on October 7?”

“This is a royal commission on antisemitism,” Ossip firmly replied. “We are dealing with a protest where protesters shouted ‘f*ck the Jews’, ‘where are the Jews?’ and said ‘I am going to kill them all!’

“I’m a bit confused. Why we are getting caught up in the minutiae of the timeline of a foreign military operation?”

Exactly.

The blood of 1200 innocent people was not yet dry, terrorists were still roaming through civilian centres in southern Israel and 251 people had been taken hostage but, in Sydney, people thought it was OK to go out and attack Australian Jews.

Well it’s not OK and the tragedy of Bondi that occurred 797 days later can be traced to what happened that night at the Opera House.

What we saw at the Opera House was a dangerous and demented view of the world that justifies hate and violence at home based on what is perceived to be happening abroad.

It is this nexus between the foreign and the domestic that the royal commission must tackle head on. The hatred we saw at two of our national icons, the Opera House and Bondi Beach, is not ­isolated, it is now mainstream. To deny this is to deny reality.

One only has to have an ear to the heartbreaking personal testimony at the royal commission – the daily violence, intimidation and harassment encountered in the classroom, on the sporting field and in the workplace – to know it’s open season on Australian Jews.

If the royal commission is going to make a real difference and turn back the tide of antisemitism, it must lay down new red lines that say clearly that we, as Australians, have zero tolerance for the people who fan the flames of hate and the places where it is fostered.

If it does not, if it equivocates, if it hesitates, our society will continue to fragment and our quality of life will continue to deteriorate. It will be only a matter of time ­before there is no longer a thriving Jewish community in Australia.

This is the time for big, bold and immediate action to right this wrong. For hard and, dare I say it, unpopular decisions, that go beyond anything we had previously contemplated.

We are in a crisis of our own making with the country now at a tipping point.

Our political and civic leaders have failed to fulfil their fundamental duty to protect the public.

We are all less safe, Jew and non-Jew alike. Many of our leaders do not get it. They do not get the scale of the problem. They do not get the drivers of the problem.

They do not know how to solve the problem.

And this is why there was such strong public support for the establishment of a royal commission on antisemitism.

It was not just because of Australia’s deadliest ever terrorist attack at Bondi, it was because the public had lost confidence in our government’s ability and willingness to do what is required to protect all Australians.

What is required now is a policy of zero tolerance for antisemitism and hate, to drive it back to the fringes of society, where it belongs.

I discuss these issues and others in my personal submission to the royal commission, lodged nearly two months ago.

At the time I made it clear I would welcome the opportunity to be called as a witness.

I heard nothing until last Friday afternoon when I was informed via the royal commission’s legal team that I would not be called.

The last public hearing is scheduled for later this month on the topic of social cohesion, a topic I have been more than active on over the past three years.

I have taken this stand, notwithstanding the significant threats I have received.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24920134 (101130ZAUG26) Notable: Antisemitism royal commission eyes charity tax changes - Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commissioner Susan Woodward has backed consideration of stronger powers to prevent charities being run by people who promote hate, threaten national security or commit serious crimes. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion examined whether charitable tax benefits should be removed from organisations using resources to breach racial discrimination laws. Woodward said regulatory standards should apply consistently to all charities and suggested expanded powers to remove responsible persons or suspend registrations following advice from law enforcement or intelligence agencies. The commission heard existing rules did not automatically disqualify someone for breaching the Racial Discrimination Act. Community Council for Australia chief executive David Crosbie supported stronger, consistent regulation but warned blanket restrictions on people with criminal convictions could undermine rehabilitation-focused charities.

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>>74988

Antisemitism royal commission eyes charity tax changes

JAMES DOWLING - 10 August 2026

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People who preach hate, spread bigotry or have serious criminal convictions would be barred from running charities under changes pressed in the antisemitism royal commission.

National charities regulator head Susan Woodward said the rules should be the same for all charities and she would consider calls to remove tax benefits from groups that use their resources to break racial discrimination laws.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion asked the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission to consider possible policy changes intended to prevent misuse of charity resources and taxpayer funding of organisations run by convicted criminals, promoters of hate speech or threats to national security.

For example, the Dawah Van charity run by hate preacher Wissam Haddad enjoyed its charitable tax status for years and Ms Woodward told the commission it was unable to revoke its registration in direct reaction to the Federal Court finding Mr Haddad had breached the Racial Discrimination Act last year.

The charity status was removed in the immediate aftermath of the judgment but for other reasons undisclosed.

Dawah Van was the successor to Mr Haddad’s Street Dawah program that Bondi gunman Naveed Akram proselytised for around 2019.

Barrister Nick Bender SC represented a collection of Jewish groups at the commission, including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry which brought the Federal Court action against Mr Haddad.

He said Mr Haddad’s RDA contravention had “no automatic consequence at all under the governance standards” of the ACNC and asked whether the regulator needed powers “to prevent the premises of the charity or its platforms or events being used in a way that would amount to, for example, an offence under the racial vilification laws”. Ms Woodward said it “could be”.

At present, the commission heard, the ACNC has varying levels of authority over state and federal charities, with religious charities given additional exemptions. Ms Woodward said this should change.

“We believe it would be more efficient and basically fair that the same standards apply to all registered charities,” she said. Breaching the RDA didn’t stop someone becoming a charity’s “responsible person” and the ACNC was completely barred from removing members of religious charities.

“I can only exercise the power to suspend a person if, by doing so, it brings the charity back into compliance with its obligations under the ACNC Act,” Ms Woodward said. “It’s not a broad power to say: ‘Look, that responsible person has done something wrong.’

“It would assist the (ACNC) commissioner if a responsible person could be removed in a broader range of circumstances. For example, where the responsible person (commits) certain serious criminal offences.”

She suggested suspending charity licences on the advice of law enforcement and intelligence services.

“If there’s national security issues at play, we should be able to act to ensure that no registered charity is threatening that,” Ms Woodward said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24923241 (111111ZAUG26) Notable: Anthony Albanese rushed antisemitism royal commission reporting deadline, says Coalition - The Coalition has accused Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of imposing a rushed deadline on the royal commission into antisemitism, arguing prominent Jewish voices have been excluded from public hearings. Liberal frontbencher James Paterson criticised the omission of former treasurer Josh Frydenberg and journalist Sharri Markson, both of whom submitted evidence and wanted to testify. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin also questioned Frydenberg’s exclusion, describing him as the “pre-eminent voice” advocating for the inquiry. The commission, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, has heard more than 200 witnesses and received 20,000 submissions. Its findings are due by December 14, one year after the Bondi Beach terror attack. The government maintains the inquiry is independent and nonpartisan.

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>>74988

>>75020

>>75021

Anthony Albanese rushed antisemitism royal commission reporting deadline, says Coalition

ELIZABETH PIKE - 10 August 2026

The Coalition has accused the ­Albanese government of setting a “rushed reporting deadline” for the royal commission into antisemitism that has sidelined some of the country’s most prominent Jewish figures.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin on Monday questioned why Australia’s highest-ranking Jewish former minister, Josh Frydenberg, was excluded from giving evidence, given he was the “pre-eminent voice” calling for the federal inquiry.

After The Australian revealed the former treasurer would not ­appear before the commission, one of the country’s most prominent Jewish-Australian journalists, Sharri Markson, confirmed she was also not called to appear.

Liberal frontbencher James Paterson raised concerns about their omission and the timeline of the inquiry, which is expected to deliver its findings by December 14 – exactly one year on from the Bondi Beach terror attack.

“It is disappointing that two of Australia’s most prominent Jews have not been called to give evidence at the Royal Commission,” Senator Paterson said.

“Both have faced vile and highly public antisemitism, and their insights would have been of value to the inquiry.

“Unfortunately, the rushed reporting deadline the Prime Minister set for the royal commission means some important voices will never be heard during the process.”

Anthony Albanese set Commissioner Virginia Bell a one-year deadline after he initially knocked back calls to hold the inquiry on the basis it would take too long.

As of Monday last week, the royal commission had heard from 206 witnesses at hearings and received 20,000 submissions and 697 phone inquiries.

Mr Ryvchin told 2GB he was concerned Mr Frydenberg would not appear before the inquiry despite his submission.

The recent cross-examination of fellow Jewish leader David Ossip by lawyers for the Palestinian Action Group fuelled further concern the inquiry was veering away from its ultimate purpose.

“I want us to always focus on why we are doing this: 15 people were slaughtered in cold blood at Bondi Beach, there are scores of others that have life-changing injuries, psychological and physical, and this is for them,” Mr Ryvchin said.

“We need answers and accountability and justice, and we need to know what we need to change as a country to make sure this horror never happens again.”

Markson, a News24 journalist who has extensively covered the rise of antisemitism in Australia, gave a submission to the ­inquiry in mid-June.

She was informed weeks later, via a text message from commission staff, that she would not be “required to appear as a witness” for the media block of the inquiry, and her submission had been “provided to the Commissioner for her consideration”.

“I was very surprised not to be called by the royal commission after lodging a submission,” Markson told The Australian.

“Given Commissioner Virginia Bell has heard from more than 200 witnesses, including pro-Palestinian activists, there is speculation in the Jewish community that the only explanation for the decision not to hear testimony from Josh Frydenberg or me is that it was politically motivated, owing to our criticism of the lack of leadership from the Albanese government.”

Prominent business, national security and ALP figures called on the royal commission to reconsider Mr Frydenberg’s “puzzling” exclusion.

Mr Frydenberg and Markson both made clear they wanted to be called as witnesses to offer their ­insight to the inquiry.

Mr Frydenberg also voiced concerns about Ms Bell’s appointment as Commissioner at the time.

The government has maintained the royal commission in an independent, nonpartisan inquiry to investigate the Bondi tragedy, the rise of antisemitism, and issues with social cohesion in the wake of the October 7 attack.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/anthony-albanese-rushed-inquiry-says-coalition/news-story/a7ccf27121096c6b19bb95c29bbf24dc

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24926485 (120921ZAUG26) Notable: Naveed Akram: Prosecutors amass over 800 witness statements in case against man accused of Sydney massacre - Prosecutors have amassed more than 800 witness statements in the case against Naveed Akram, the 25-year-old accused of murdering 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14. Akram appeared briefly in Downing Centre Local Court on 78 charges, including murder, attempted murder and committing a terrorist act. Prosecutor Danielle New said authorities had examined the witness statements, video, ballistic evidence and data from seven electronic devices, while another 12 devices and an improvised explosive device testing report remained under review. Police allege Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, threw four viable IEDs towards the Jewish crowd before opening fire. Sajid was killed by police and Naveed wounded. The case returns on October 28.

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>>62893 (pb)

Naveed Akram: Prosecutors amass over 800 witness statements in case against man accused of Sydney massacre

A prosecutor has told a court that the case against a man accused of murdering 15 people at a Sydney Hanukkah celebration involved more than 800 witness statements and more evidence had yet to be examined.

washingtonpost.com - 12 August 2026

SYDNEY - The case against a man accused of murdering 15 people at a Sydney Hanukkah celebration involved more than 800 witness statements and more evidence had yet to be examined, a prosecutor told a court Wednesday.

Naveed Akram, 25, appeared briefly in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on 78 charges related to the Dec. 14 massacre at Bondi Beach that police allege was inspired by the Islamic State group .

Prosecutor Danielle New outlined the large quantity of evidence that was still being compiled for the prosecution case.

The case was adjourned until Oct. 28, when prosecutors will update the court on their progress.

More than 800 witness statements had already been examined along with video, ballistic evidence and data from seven electronic devices, New said.

But data from another 12 electronic devices and an improvised explosive device testing report had yet to be reviewed, she said.

Akram and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, allegedly began their attack by throwing four IEDs toward a Jewish crowd, but the devices failed to explode.

Police described the devices as three aluminum pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing an explosive, gunpowder and steel ball bearings. While none detonated, police described them as “viable” IEDs.

The father was killed in a gunbattle with police and the son was wounded.

Naveed Akram has not entered pleas to the charges that include murder, attempted murder and committing a terrorist act.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/08/12/australia-shooting-sydney-hanukkah-bondi/cc742248-9607-11f1-9ef9-1be722184483_story.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24929837 (130937ZAUG26) Notable: Former religious extremist details deradicalisation journey at antisemitism royal commission - Former Salafi jihadist and undercover operative Mubinoddin Shaikh has told the antisemitism royal commission that antisemitism is the “connective tissue” across extremist ideologies. Shaikh described becoming radicalised after encountering armed Taliban members in Pakistan in 1995 and later joining an extremist Salafist group in Canada. He began disengaging after marriage and ultimately rejected the ideology following the September 11 attacks, whose mass violence he could not reconcile with Islam. Shaikh later worked with Canadian intelligence and on US counter-ISIS activities. He now helps young people disengage from extremism, saying 70 per cent of his organisation’s cases involve some antisemitic influence. He argued Australian government-run deradicalisation programs may struggle to directly challenge the religious or ideological beliefs underpinning violent extremism.

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>>74988

Former religious extremist details deradicalisation journey at antisemitism royal commission

Phoebe Pin - 13 August 2026

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A former Salafi jihadist-turned undercover operative has told the antisemitism royal commission how he became radicalised after an encounter with the Taliban.

After radicalising as a young man, Mubinoddin Shaikh became disillusioned with extremism following the 9/11 terror attacks.

He said in his work combating extremism in the decades since, he observed that antisemitism appeared to be the "connective tissue" across different ideologies.

On Thursday, Mr Shaikh appeared at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which has been examining pathways to violent extremism and subsequent disengagement with harmful ideologies.

Mr Shaikh grew up in a conservative Muslim household in Toronto, Canada, and said he travelled to Pakistan in mid-1995 on an immersive religious tour with the Tablighi Jamaat Islamic movement.

Prior to this, he said he had been shamed by his uncle after being caught "red handed" throwing a house party while his parents were out of town; an incident which Mr Shaikh described as pivotal to setting him on the path to religious extremism.

While visiting mosques and interacting with Pakistani locals, Mr Shaikh had a chance encounter with members of the Taliban carrying weapons.

"One of them responded, 'If you want to succeed in this life and the next, you do it with this'. And then he picked up the AK-47," he told the commission.

He said he "became enamoured" with the men and their beliefs at a time when he was seeking a sense of belonging.

"I wanted to be like them, I wanted to join them," he said.

"I thought I had found the group that I should have been with."

'Gang mentality'

Upon his return to Canada, Mr Shaikh left the Tablighi Jamaat and joined an extremist Salafist group.

The group discussed geopolitical events and wars, and talked about going to fight in Chechnya, where Russia had invaded, but were dissuaded from doing so.

"Going overseas and fighting the great jihad was that umbrella desire … that we all had," he said.

"It became like a gang mentality in many ways when we would walk around with our brothers … we really felt empowered.

"We knew that we were intimidating people."

Mr Shaikh met regularly with the group between 1995 and 1998, but started to disengage with their activities after he married and started to plan for a family of his own.

Path to deradicalisation

He said the trigger point for his deradicalisation came after the 9/11 attacks in New York City, saying he struggled to reconcile the acts of mass violence with Islam.

"While we were talking about these foreign wars that were happening in the name of Islam and how that was all legitimate, now that fight got brought to the home front," he said.

"Especially seeing planes fly into buildings … I could not understand how this fit into the Islamic war tradition."

Meanwhile, he said others in his Salafist group were "jubilant" over the attacks, prompting him to sever ties and begin the journey to deradicalisation.

In subsequent years, he pursued Arabic and Islamic studies and studies around Sufi spirituality in Syria.

He was later recruited to be an undercover operative with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

He was also involved in counter-ISIS activities for the US military.

Mr Shaikh now works with Peace for Parents, a not-for-profit that supports families and other groups affected by extremism.

He works one-on-one with young people referred to the program by parents, guardians or schools concerned about their behaviour or beliefs.

He said the group had recently established a specific intervention strategy for antisemitism-related cases.

"Seventy per cent of our cases show some kind of antisemitic influence," he said.

"Antisemitism appears to be the connective tissue across extremist ideologies."

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24936634 (150459ZAUG26) Notable: Iranian diaspora slams ‘misleading testimony’ at royal commission - Fifteen Iranian-Australian groups have criticised the antisemitism royal commission for leaving unchallenged testimony suggesting late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei had no direct role in IRGC-linked attacks in Australia. Shia Muslim Council of Australia director Ali Alsamail defended mosque commemorations for Khamenei and suggested the attacks could have involved a “rogue element”. The groups argued this misrepresented Khamenei’s authority as supreme commander of Iran’s armed forces and called for testimony from Iranians who fled the regime. Separately, extremism expert Adrian Cherney told the commission antisemitism was a unifying characteristic across violent extremist ideologies and said only Victoria’s counter-extremism program met all assessed criteria. He also argued that entirely separating Islamist extremism from religious beliefs was “analytically reductive”.

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>>74988

Iranian diaspora slams ‘misleading testimony’ at royal commission

JAMES DOWLING - 14 August 2026

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Misleading testimony suggesting the late ayatollah Ali Khamenei played no role in Iranian state-sponsored terror attacks went uncorrected at the antisemitism royal commission, Iranian-Australians say, fuelling further criticism of the inquiry’s selective questioning and misplaced priorities.

A week after outrage at the bruising cross-examination of Jewish community leader David Ossip spilled out of the royal commission, 15 local Iranian groups have written an open letter to Commissioner Virginia Bell saying she left unchallenged suggestions the slain ayatollah was a religious figurehead.

Shia Muslim Council of Australia director Ali Alsamail was called to testify on Monday before the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission and, under questioning from Justice Bell, he defended mosques that held commemorations for Iran’s supreme leader after the US military killed him in a bomb strike in February.

Justice Bell asked how such funerals could be reconciled with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ role in firebombing Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue and Sydney kosher deli Lewis’ Continental Kitchen. Dr Alsamail said the ayatollah had no “direct involvement” in the attacks and suggested they could have been orchestrated by a “rogue element” within his regime.

His testimony has sparked rebuke from anti-regime advocates, who say Dr Alsamail’s evidence was clearly misleading and should have been clarified by Justice Bell or counsel assisting.

“Dr Alsamail described Khamenei chiefly as a religious authority, comparable to the Pope, and suggested he may have had no direct involvement in IRGC attacks, raising the possibility they were the work of a rogue element acting outside his knowledge. That does not match the office he held,” 15 Iranian monarchist groups wrote in a letter to Justice Bell on Thursday.

“The supreme leader held supreme command of the armed forces, personally appointed and dismissed the IRGC’s commander-in-chief and every senior general, declared war, and ordered mobilisation.

“No pope commands an army or appoints its generals. Khamenei held that power without interruption for 36 years through the years in which the IRGC struck Sydney and Melbourne.”

The signatories said Justice Bell had to call for the testimony of Iranians who had fled the regime’s persecution if she was to counterbalance her evidence.

“We believe it left the commission with a materially misleading picture of who Ali Khamenei was and what he controlled,” the letter says.

“This commission exists, in part, because of what the IRGC did here in Australia.

“We recognise the chain of command Dr Alsamail described as detached, because we lived under the other end of it.”

Dr Alsamail told the commission that more than a dozen mosques across NSW, Victoria and Queensland that held memorials for the Islamic Republic’s long-reigning leader did so to mourn “a leader in jurisprudence and theology, aside from any political or authority positions that he held”.

“We know that – at least we would believe that – the ayatollah would never have any direct involvement in anything like that at all,” he said.

“We don’t know what the line of hierarchy there was, whether there was a rogue element or something like that.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24940295 (161032ZAUG26) Notable: Anthony Albanese vows to push states on gun buyback as NSW goes alone - Anthony Albanese says he will continue urging states and territories to join the federal gun buyback after NSW became the first jurisdiction to sign up. The NSW scheme will begin on November 2 and run for a year, targeting firearms affected by new ownership caps and reclassifications introduced after the Bondi terrorist attack. Most surrendered firearms will attract compensation of $1000 or less, while a later phase will cover higher-value weapons up to $10,000. NSW estimates as many as 274,000 registered firearms could be affected. Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory have rejected the federal initiative, while the ACT will participate. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson condemned the scheme, arguing it unfairly penalises law-abiding gun owners rather than addressing those responsible for violence.

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>>74985

Anthony Albanese vows to push states on gun buyback as NSW goes alone

LACHLAN LEEMING and JACK QUAIL - 16 August 2026

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Anthony Albanese has stressed that he will continue pushing other states and territories to sign up to his government’s federal gun buyback scheme as NSW remains the sole state to roll out the initiative.

Speaking in Sydney on Sunday, the Prime Minister made the comments after he launched the new buyback program with the NSW Minns government, with compensation capped at less than $1000 for the vast majority of surrendered firearms.

The buyback – one of the flagship reforms promised by Mr Albanese in the wake of the nation’s worst terror attack – has been blighted since its announcement with the Queensland, South Australian, Victorian and Northern Territory governments all rejecting it.

“These arrangements are available to every state and territory, and this reform comes on top of previous reforms that’s been undertaken by my government in partnership with states and territories,” Mr Albanese told reporters, also noting his government’s efforts to develop a national firearms register.

“That’s absolutely critical. It is, I think, somewhat farcical that some states were still, in terms of firearm licenses, having paper licenses that therefore couldn’t be,” he said.

Mr Albanese and Mr Minns announced the state will be the first jurisdiction to participate in the scheme, which will start almost a year after December’s mass shooting which targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach and killed 15.

Mr Albanese said he would continue to work “constructively” with the remaining states and territories who were yet to sign-on to the register, but stressed they would ultimately make their own decisions about the reforms.

“They are responsible, but what I would say and reiterate is that in the Commonwealth they have a willing partner,” he said.

Appearing alongside Mr Albanese, NSW Premier Chris Minns said opposition from other states and territories would not allow his government to “let perfection be the enemy of the good”.

“We feel this is necessary for our state today, and if it means we’re the first mover, or even the only mover, that’s what we need to do,” he said.

NSW first, with paltry payouts

Mr Albanese’s pledge to hold the largest national gun buyback since the Port Arthur Massacre will kick off with a single bilateral agreement with NSW starting in November, with compensation to be capped at less than $1000 for the vast majority of surrendered firearms.

The Prime Minister said preventing another terrorist attack meant implementing “meaningful nationwide gun reform”.

“We must do everything we can to make sure the anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform,” he said.

“I thank the NSW government for their collaboration as we work to take guns off our streets in order to better protect Australians.”

Mr Minns said the buyback was the next step after promising “the people of NSW we would introduce the toughest gun laws in the country”.

“There are potentially hundreds of thousands of firearms affected by these changes. We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed,” he said.

Bondi gunman Sajid Akram, who was killed in a shootout with police during the attack, legally owned six firearms, including the ones used on the day.

His son Naveed Akram has been charged with 78 offences including 15 counts of murder. He has not yet been required to enter any pleas.

The NSW buyback is set to run for a year from November 2.

The timing of the scheme will collide with the NSW election in March and is likely to be a key issue in electorates in the regions and on the outskirts of metropolitan areas.

Labor MPs in those areas fear the impact it will have on their re-election campaigns, especially with One Nation already vowing to repeal gun controls.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24940303 (161038ZAUG26) Notable: Coalition slams ‘failed’ gun buybacks as Albanese vows to push on - The Coalition has attacked Anthony Albanese’s national gun buyback as a “failed” policy after only NSW reached an agreement with the Commonwealth almost eight months after its announcement. Nationals leader Matt Canavan called the scheme a “knee-jerk response” to the Bondi massacre that unfairly targets lawful firearm owners, while Liberal home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said it made gun owners “scapegoats”. Albanese will push other jurisdictions to participate at national cabinet, with NSW’s scheme beginning November 2 and offering $450 to $1000 for most surrendered firearms. One Nation also opposes the policy, while shooters and retailers argue compensation is inadequate. Gun Control Australia supports the buyback and urged governments to emulate the political resolve behind John Howard’s 1996 reforms.

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>>74985

>>75028

Coalition slams ‘failed’ gun buybacks as Albanese vows to push on

Nick Newling - August 16, 2026

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The Coalition has ridiculed the federal government’s failure to roll out the national gun buyback scheme after it took almost eight months for a deal to be struck with Labor-led NSW while negotiations with other jurisdictions such as Victoria remain at a standstill.

Amid mounting pressure from the Nationals and One Nation to ditch the plan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has encouraged dithering states to come on board, saying the Commonwealth is a “willing partner” and the door is open for negotiation.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of the Nationals’ annual conference on Sunday, party leader Matt Canavan said the buyback was a “knee-jerk response” to the Bondi massacre that was unfairly targeting lawful gun owners.

“We, the Nationals, stand up for people who have their rights trampled on, particularly by this Labor government. And we see today the Labor Party doubling down on what already is a failed gun buyback response,” Canavan said.

“This is a desperate attempt to keep on life support a scheme that was announced in the light of a tragedy, with no consultation, no forward-thinking, and is now causing enormous heartache for law-abiding Australians. It just needs to be dropped. It just needs to be gotten rid of.”

On Sunday, alongside NSW Premier Chris Minns, Albanese announced the November 2 start of the buyback scheme in that state. The scheme will offer owners between $450 and $1000 for individual weapons, with costs split evenly between the state and federal governments. A specific cost for the scheme was not provided.

“I’m not going to skirt it. It’s expensive, but it’s a price worth paying,” Minns said, while Albanese highlighted the greater “cost of inaction” through loss of life.

While the buyback has largely remained out of the public debate following its announcement, opposition from the ascendant One Nation and an attempt from the Nationals to repeal supporting legislation in the Senate this week will throw the faltering scheme back into the spotlight.

Even with support from the Liberals and One Nation, the Nationals’ push to repeal the laws is likely to fail as Labor and the Greens control a majority in the Senate.

Albanese will use a national cabinet meeting later this month to advocate for other states to come on board despite fierce pushback from the Coalition-led jurisdictions of Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Newly minted Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said he would take advice from Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush on “what resources he needs” when asked on Sunday why his predecessor Jacinta Allan had rejected the push. Bush told journalists the buyback was “a matter for the government”.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure our Victorian police have every resource they need to combat and reduce crime,” said Carroll, who will face a three-way fight against the Coalition and One Nation at November’s election.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24940312 (161045ZAUG26) Notable: Trial of nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israelis delayed over expert witness row - The trial of former Bankstown Hospital nurses Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir has been postponed, potentially until 2027, following a dispute over expert evidence concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict. Prosecutors disclosed on August 5 that Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan would testify, providing his report just 26 days before the scheduled August 31 trial. NSW District Court Judge Paul Conlon accepted the defence argument that this created an “unacceptable forensic disadvantage” and vacated the hearing. The defence intends to obtain its own expert evidence and cross-examine Shanahan. Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky, who recorded the nurses allegedly threatening Israeli patients and was due to testify in Sydney, cancelled his planned trip but remains willing to appear.

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>>75006

>>75019

Trial of nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israelis delayed over expert witness row

BIMINI PLESSER - 16 August 2026

The criminal trial of two nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients has been pushed back due to duelling testimony from expert witnesses over the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The matter, which was due to be heard in two weeks, will likely be delayed until next year after the prosecution revealed it would call Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan to give evidence.

In its bid to delay the trial, the defence argued it had insufficient time to properly analyse Dr Shanahan’s report or find a witness to challenge his expert opinion.

Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir made global headlines last year after Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky – known online as Max Veifer – recorded them allegedly threatening violence against Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital.

In the video, Mr Nadir allegedly suggested he had sent Israeli patients to “hell” while Ms Abu Lebdeh allegedly claimed she would “kill” Israelis rather than treat them.

After more than a year of legal arguments – which saw the clip of the nurses’ alleged threats thrown out of evidence, then reintroduced following a Supreme Court appeal – Mr Nadir and Ms Abu Lebdeh were set to face a five-day trial, starting ­August 31.

But the last-minute introduction of expert testimony on the Israel-Palestine conflict has forced a judge to vacate the trial, meaning the nurses’ day in court may not come until some time next year.

Mr Nadir’s solicitor, Zemarai Khatiz, told The Australian the trial was vacated because “the Crown served an expert report concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict at the 11th hour”.

He said the prosecution ­introduced several pieces of new evidence on August 5, ­including an expert report from Dr Shanahan.

“The Crown expert report had been completed on May 31, 2026, but was not provided to the ­defence until August 5, 2026 – just 26 days before trial,” Mr Khatiz said.

“This left the defence with ­insufficient time to properly ­analyse the report and obtain ­independent expert evidence to test and challenge the Crown expert opinions.”

Mr Khatiz said Dr Shanahan would be called to the witness box at trial and the defence would “extensively cross-examine him on his report”.

With both the Crown and defence procuring expert witnesses and preparing cross-examinations, the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict could become a focus of the nurses’ case when it finally goes to trial.

NSW District Court judge Paul Conlon vacated the planned trial on Thursday, accepting Mr Khatiz’s submissions that the late introduction of Dr Shanahan’s report left his client at an “unacceptable forensic disadvantage”.

Mr Ilinsky, who last week announced he would be flown to Sydney to testify at the nurses’ trial, said his upcoming trip had been cancelled.

“I’m not flying to Australia this month … Of course, I’m ready to testify when the new date is set,” he said in a video posted on social media.

The nurses’ matter will next appear before Parramatta District Court, where a new trial date will be set. Mr Khatiz said it is anticipated to be “some time in 2027”.

The former Bankstown Hospital nurses have both pleaded not guilty to using a carriage ­service to menace, harass or offend, and Ms Abu Lebdeh has pleaded not guilty to an ­additional charge of threatening violence to a group.

They have been stood down from their jobs by NSW Health and issued a two-year ban from working with NDIS participants.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/trial-of-nurses-who-allegedly-threatened-to-kill-israelis-delayed-over-expert-witness-row/news-story/b61582ea064b6b82e05106fc26862fa5

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24943430 (170953ZAUG26) Notable: Address social media to counter anti-Semitism: inquiry - Efforts to combat anti-Semitism must address social media platforms that can amplify distrust, polarisation and extremist narratives, the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion has heard. Australian National University professors Nicholas Biddle and Matthew Gray said satisfaction with democracy had fallen to its lowest level since January 2023, despite increased principled support for democracy. Gray argued interventions should particularly target younger Australians with lower educational attainment, among whom democratic support is especially weak, while governments should improve institutional transparency and credibility. Other witnesses highlighted stronger social cohesion during COVID-19 and the importance of cross-cultural relationships. Ahmed Hegazi and Jewish Climate Network chief Joel Lazar urged greater community connection to reduce perceptions of threat and break cycles of polarisation. The commission’s final hearing block has now begun.

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>>74957

>>74958

>>74988

Address social media to counter anti-Semitism: inquiry

Catherine Bouris and Max Aldred - August 17 2026

Multiple factors including social media are undermining support for democracy and risk promoting distrust, polarisation and extremist narratives if left unchecked, a royal commission has been told.

Academics and policy experts have made suggestions for the most effective method of responding to anti-Semitism to a public probe into the worst terror attack on Australian soil.

Professors Nicholas Biddle and Matthew Gray, both from the Australian National University, fronted the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion on Monday, speaking to reports they have published on democratic attitudes in Australia and the appropriate response to decreased satisfaction with democracy.

Their June report found satisfaction with democracy fell to its lowest rate since January 2023 while principled support for democracy increased.

Professor Gray said multiple factors could be at play, including people who get most of their information from social media having their support for democracy undermined by the content they see online.

"We conclude that efforts to counter anti-Semitism will be limited unless they also address the platforms through which distrust, polarisation and extremist narratives circulate," Prof Gray told the commission.

He also argued targeted interventions, aimed in particular at young Australians with low educational attainment, who show strikingly low levels of principal democratic support, would be more effective than universal attempts to counter anti-Semitism.

"Because trust in core institutions is closely associated with democratic commitment, consideration should be given to how government agencies, education systems and public communications practices could be made more transparent, accountable and credible, particularly in communities experiencing disadvantage," Prof Gray said.An increase in support for social inclusion and justice during the COVID-19 lockdowns was evident.

Much of the shift during the pandemic was the result of increased government support to those receiving Centrelink payments, Scanlon Foundation Research Institute Anthea Hancock said.The foundation runs the Mapping Social Cohesion project, the only initiative of its kind in the world.Commissioner Virginia Bell said Australians seemed to do very well as a society when locked in their homes and credited the government transparency exemplified by daily updates from state premiers.

The commission heard from representatives from the Somali Society of NSW, Australian United Solidarity for Iran, and Rozana Australia.

Friends Ahmed Hegazi, a strategic adviser, and Joel Lazar, chief executive of the Jewish Climate Network, also fronted the commission, expressing concern about increased polarisation and emphasising the importance of cross-cultural communication.

"Humans who know their neighbours don't feel they are threats and they don't fear them, they feel connected to them," Mr Hegazi said.

"We need to break the cycle."

"There's basically no alternative to trying new things even if they're hard … as fathers of young children, we know important things are always hard," Mr Lazar said.

Monday marked the beginning of the royal commission's ninth and final hearing block.

Commissioner Bell will table her report in December.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9331296/address-social-media-to-counter-anti-semitism-inquiry/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24954702 (200934ZAUG26) Notable: Antisemitism royal commission witness questions Israel's right to exist, whether it is a 'legitimate state' - Australian Muslim Advocacy Network policy adviser Rita Jabri Markwell has questioned Israel’s legitimacy during evidence to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. Asked by Commissioner Virginia Bell whether she accepted the legitimacy of Israel’s existence, Markwell said she did not consider a state relying on “unlawful occupation and apartheid and genocide” legitimate. Israel rejects allegations of genocide. Markwell also told the commission she regarded Zionism as a form of violent extremism because she believed it involved dehumanisation of outgroups, but rejected suggestions that all Zionists were violent extremists. Discussing Jewish university student Mia Kline’s support for Zionism alongside Palestinian rights and a two-state solution, Markwell questioned how Zionism could reconcile Palestinian human dignity and human rights with its ideological framework.

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>>75031

Antisemitism royal commission witness questions Israel's right to exist, whether it is a 'legitimate state'

Phoebe Pin - 20 August 2026

A witness at the royal commission on antisemitism has questioned the legitimacy of Israel's existence, following a tense exchange over her interpretation of Zionism as a violent extremist belief.

Rita Jabri Markwell is a Sydney-based solicitor, researcher and policy adviser to the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network and on Thursday gave evidence at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion about a framework she helped develop to identify and address all forms of hate speech.

The dehumanisation framework was initially developed to assist with legal proceedings, with Ms Markwell saying the model could also help institutions manage complaints.

Under the model, speech directed at governments, militaries and political ideologies would be protected, but dehumanising speech targeting people based on characteristics such as race, religion or ethnicity would breach the framework.

Following a lengthy and at times emotive cross-examination about the framework, Commissioner Virginia Bell AC SC asked Ms Markwell if she would "accept that there is a legitimacy to the existence of the state of Israel" at the time of the United Nations General Assembly's recognition of the state of Israel in 1948.

"I don't think I have a view particularly on the time of that declaration, but I know that if you were to ask me now whether I think that the state has legitimacy I, as a human rights lawyer, I don't think that any state that relies unlawful occupation and apartheid and genocide could be said to be a legitimate state," Ms Markwell said in response.

"I think that there really needs to be, and this is just a political opinion, but I think there needs to be serious thought as to how we fulfil every human's human rights in that region."

In September 2025, a Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory by the UN Human Rights Council found that genocide was occurring in Gaza.

The allegation of genocide is rejected by Israel

It followed a tense cross-examination by counsel representing various Jewish organisations Nicholas Bender SC, who took Ms Markwell to a Substack post she made about her interpretation of Zionism.

Zionism as defined by the anti-defamation league is a movement for self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland of Israel.

But critics argue that it has contributed to the displacement and denial of rights for Palestinians.

Mr Bender put to Ms Markwell that her Substack post reflected a view she held that Zionism was a form of violent extremism.

"Yes, I do agree. There is a basis for that which is based in research," Ms Markwell said in response.

"The reason I believe that is because there is dehumanisation of outgroups which runs through Zionism which by my work with the University of Queensland … that is a defining attribute of violent extremist movements, that they tend to rely on dehumanisation which is a form of psychological violence."

Mr Bender at times spoke over Ms Markwell, putting to her that her interpretation of Zionism would mean she thought all Zionists were violent extremists.

Ms Markwell rejected his suggestion.

She was also taken to an article by university student and previous commission witness, Mia Kline, who claimed she had been kicked out of her university accommodation because she was a Zionist.

The commission heard that in her article Ms Kline said she supported a two-state solution, believed in peace and harmony, supported the rights of Palestinians and was often critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces.

Mr Bender asked Ms Markwell for her response to Ms Kline's article.

"When I read her piece, I was quite moved that she was speaking about values to do with peace and coexistence and dignity … these are all values I also align with," Ms Markwell said.

"But at the same time she was talking about Zionism … and I found that quite difficult because when I consider zionism as the Jewish nationalist ideology …. Which lead to the creation of the state of Israel in Palestine in very violent circumstances … all of that doesn't seem to be consistent with the positive values she was talking about.

"I am genuinely interested in how you reconcile the values you speak about with being Zionist because … I haven't yet heard a Zionist explain to me how do they incorporate Palestinian human dignity and human rights into their ideological framework."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-20/bondi-royal-commission-antisemitism-rita-jabri-markwell-/107059294

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24954722 (201001ZAUG26) Notable: Pauline Hanson escalates bid for Bondi terror video - Pauline Hanson has appealed an Australian Federal Police decision refusing access to an alleged ISIS-inspired video recorded by the Bondi Beach gunmen before the December terrorist attack. The One Nation leader has asked the Information Commissioner to overturn the rejection of her Freedom of Information application or alternatively provide a redacted transcript or summary. The AFP argued releasing the footage could spread violent extremism, damage national security and prejudice proceedings involving surviving accused attacker Naveed Akram. Hanson said Australians deserved greater transparency about radical Islamic extremism and argued details of the video were already contained in publicly released court documents. Police allege the footage shows Akram and his father seated before an ISIS flag and firearms, making statements about their motivations for the attack after Akram recites a passage from the Koran.

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>>74968

>>>/qresearch/24844152

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>>75025

Pauline Hanson escalates bid for Bondi terror video

GEOFF CHAMBERS and ELIZABETH PIKE - 19 August 2026

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has escalated her fight with the Australian Federal Police to access a “secret video” of the father-and-son Bondi Beach gunmen, after appealing an AFP decision to block her Freedom of Information application seeking footage of the alleged Islamic extremists.

Senator Hanson told The Australian that the Albanese government “must release the video now and be upfront about the threat of radical Islamic extremism”, amid warnings from national security agencies that another terror attack is “probable”.

An FOI application lodged by One Nation with the AFP seeking access to the alleged ISIS-inspired video manifesto recorded before the Bondi attack was ultimately blocked on the basis it could spread violent extremism and prejudice the case of the surviving alleged terrorist.

Senator Hanson has now taken her fight for access the video to the Information Commissioner, arguing it is in the public interest for the footage to be released, or alternatively, that a redacted transcript or summary be provided.

The One Nation leader, one of the first politicians to visit the Bondi memorial site following the December 14 terrorist attack that left 15 Jewish-Australians and bystanders dead, said “Labor hasn’t been upfront with Australians about the Bondi attack”.

“Labor is trying to hide the truth because they don’t want to offend western Sydney electorates. For almost two days after the attack, the Prime Minister refused to call it what it was: Islamic terrorism. Instead, he scapegoated law-abiding firearms owners.”

The Albanese government cannot compel the AFP to release evidence due to the separation of powers. The Australian also understands the AFP is constrained in what can provide to the public as the Bondi investigation is a joint counter-terrorism operation involving multiple agencies.

Senator Hanson said access should be given to the video because “detailed descriptions of the video and other material have already been released by the court and reported on by the media … there’s no reason to keep the actual video secret”.

“We have now appealed the decision to the Information Commissioner, but that process could take years,” she said.

“Whether it is who we allow into Australia, how we deal with extremists already here, the return of the ISIS brides, or what Australians are told after a terrorist attack, national security starts with telling the truth. Australians should not have to wait years to learn the truth.

“The Albanese government must release the video now and be upfront about the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.”

In its response to Senator Hanson’s March 17 application, the AFP confirmed that searches for relevant documents were undertaken by Counter Terrorism and included but were not limited to “a search of the AFP’s investigation management solution, the AFP email system Outlook, official AFP diaries and electronic directories”.

“The AFP acquired the documents as part of their investigation into the Bondi attack with the expectation that the material would not be further disseminated,” the AFP response read.

“Disclosure of the relevant documents would jeopardise the safety and protection of the Australian community by inviting violent extremism to spread, thereby causing significant and enduring damage to national security.”

The AFP added there was “no limitation” to what parties could do with the video or its contents, citing concerns the evidence would become “uncontrolled”.

Court documents released in December allege police found a video on Naveed Akram’s phone of a manifesto the father and son filmed in October, two months before the Bondi Beach terror attack.

According to court documents, the video shows Mr Akram and his father sitting in front of an ISIS flag behind four long-arm firearms “with visible rounds attached to the frames”.

Police allege Mr Akram recites a passage from the Koran in Arabic before the pair make a number of statements, in English, about their motivations for the Bondi terror attack.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/pauline-hanson-escalates-bid-for-bondi-terror-video/news-story/d7b0b621d9b43593df10cbb985c0b676

https://x.com/PaulineHansonOz/status/2090186707241218417

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24961468 (220916ZAUG26) Notable: Israel's ambassador to 'check' possibility of paying reparations to Zomi Frankcom's family - Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman has suggested Israel could consider reparations for the family of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom after its military cleared soldiers of criminal liability for the 2024 Gaza strike that killed her and six World Central Kitchen colleagues. Newman said any specific request for reparations would be assessed in Israel, while again declining to apologise. Anthony Albanese said Australia would consult Frankcom’s family before deciding its next steps and continued demanding greater transparency, including release of drone audio from the attack. Newman would not commit to releasing the recording but said Israel was considering inviting Australian reviewer Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin back for further discussions. Binskin’s 2024 review attributed the killings to serious procedural and decision-making failures and recommended reparations and an apology.

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>>75034

Israel's ambassador to 'check' possibility of paying reparations to Zomi Frankcom's family

Jack McKay - 21 August 2026

Israel's ambassador to Australia has suggested reparations could be available for the family of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom.

This week the Israel Defense Forces cleared soldiers of criminal liability for their involvement in the April 2024 strike in Gaza that killed Ms Frankcom and six of her World Central Kitchen colleagues.

The move has outraged the Australian government, which slammed the findings and demanded an apology for Ms Frankcom's family.

Ambassador Hillel Newman, who has defiantly defended the IDF probe, was hauled into a meeting with Foreign Minister Penny Wong at Parliament House on Thursday.

On Friday Mr Newman again declined to apologise but expressed sorrow for the family and left the door open to reparations.

"Reparations is an issue that we can check and will be checked by Israel. It's not my decision here in Australia," Mr Newman told Radio National.

"We need a specific request and then it's investigated according to the rules of reparations in such cases.

"The issue of sorrow and grief of the family has been expressed personally and generally, very categorically."

On Thursday Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said further investigation of the killings was "one of the options" that should be considered, but would not reveal the Australian government's next moves.

"We will press the Israeli government," he told the ABC's 7.30.

"The direction, we have said today, we'll discuss with Ms Frankcom's family.

"They deserve to be consulted on these issues, and we'll do that and then we'll make an announcement in coming days."

Mr Newman said Israel was open to possible legal avenues for further investigation.

In 2024 Senator Wong appointed Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin to investigate Israel's response to the strikes.

His report found that the killings were a result of serious failures to follow IDF procedures and errors in decision-making. The report was in line with the IDF's finding that the incident was a "grave mistake".

The report also called for reparations and an apology from the Israeli government.

Israel did not grant Air Chief Marshal Binskin access to the audio from the drone attack in question.

On Thursday Mr Albanese said there needed to be a "far more transparent and clear explanation" from the Israeli government about what had occurred and called for the audio to be released.

"That's consistent with transparency, which is something we have called for from day one," he said.

Mr Newman said he was not privy to intelligence regarding the recording and would not commit to its release.

"I don't think that Australia shares all its intelligence aspects with other nations, even if they're friendly and they're like-minded," he said.

"That is a question which is up to security agencies."

Mr Newman also said Israel was considering inviting Air Chief Marshal Binskin back to the country for further talks.

The Frankcom family has expressed deep disappointment over the decision to clear the soldiers involved in the strike.

They also said it was an insult to Ms Frankcom's memory for the findings to be announced on World Humanitarian Day.

The prime minister also expressed frustration with the timing of the report's release.

"It's certainly not good enough that, on World Humanitarian Day, of all days, they release this so-called report that essentially says, 'Yes, we're responsible, but nothing to see here,'" Mr Albanese said.

Mr Newman said he and the Israeli government had been under pressure to release the findings.

"It could be that the timing was not good," he said.

The IDF investigation found that there were "serious failures" in the strike, but they did not raise "reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct".

The findings released by Israel on Wednesday also looked into four other high-profile civilian deaths in Gaza.

Israel has opened criminal investigations into two of the cases, including the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza in January 2025.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-21/israel-reparations-zomi-frankcom-gaza-idf-strike-death/107065204

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24961472 (220921ZAUG26) Notable: Former ASIO agent says Australians 'deserve to know' what led to Bondi attack - A former ASIO agent known as Marcus is seeking to return to Australia to give evidence to the Bondi royal commission, claiming he warned ASIO about Sajid and Naveed Akram years before last December's terror attack. Marcus, who infiltrated Islamic extremist groups in western Sydney as a paid ASIO source, said he knew both men personally and had raised concerns about their apparent radicalisation. ASIO has described him as a "disgruntled and unreliable source", which he rejects. His first visa application was refused, but he has lodged another. Marcus says security concerns and legal protections require him to testify in person. The royal commission and NSW Police have expressed interest in speaking with him.

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>>75031

Former ASIO agent says Australians 'deserve to know' what led to Bondi attack

Tom Lowrey - 17 August 2026

A former ASIO agent who claims to have warned security agencies about the Bondi gunmen years before last December's terror attack says Australians "deserve to know" what led to the shooting.

The former agent, known as Marcus, is seeking to return to Australia to give evidence to the Bondi royal commission in person.

His first visa application was rejected; however, he recently lodged a new one.

In a statement provided to the ABC, Marcus said he wants to provide whatever insights he can to understand how the shooting came to take place.

"The victims of the Bondi terror attack and their families, and all Australians, deserve to know what led to those tragic events. I want to help," he said.

The former agent spent years infiltrating Islamic extremist groups in western Sydney, working as a paid source for domestic spy agency ASIO.

His cover was eventually blown, and he fell out with ASIO, which has since described him as a "disgruntled and unreliable source" - characterisations Marcus rejects.

Marcus has previously told the ABC's Four Corners about his interactions with the Bondi gunmen, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

He claims he warned ASIO about the Akrams years before the attack.

"When information about the perpetrators was first released, I felt sick - because I knew Sajid and Naveed Akram personally," he said in the statement.

"Through my prior work, I had become close to Naveed and grown concerned about the apparent radicalisation of both Sajid and Naveed.

"I had raised concerns about their radicalisation."

Marcus is currently living in an undisclosed location abroad, and has said he fears for his safety.

'Security concerns' behind desire to return

Marcus has argued he needs to return to Australia to give evidence to the royal commission and police in person.

The royal commission and New South Wales police have both expressed an interest in speaking with Marcus, and a letter from the royal commission was provided with his first visa application.

In the statement provided to the ABC, Marcus said he needed to give that evidence onshore.

"Due to the sensitivity of the information I hold, security concerns, the need for legal protections and other factors, I have come to the view - informed by expert legal advice - that I need to come to Australia to engage with the royal commission in person," he said.

His first visa application was denied because immigration authorities were not satisfied he genuinely intended to leave Australia.

Marcus has previously sought assistance from Australia for protection and resettlement.

Government sources have pointed to the royal commission not formally calling Marcus as a witness; however, the ABC has seen correspondence from the royal commission expressing its interest in hearing from him.

Those sources also suggested to the ABC that Marcus' evidence could be given remotely, and still be heard securely.

Several whistleblower advocacy groups have aired their support for Marcus's bid to return to Australia, including the Information Rights Project, the Free Speech Union and PEN International.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network has also supported his bid to return.

Gabriel Shipton from the Information Rights Project says travelling to Australia is the safest option for Marcus.

"He's in hiding in a foreign country because of the work that he did for the Australian government, because of the undercover work that he did," he said.

"There are a lot of risks around him travelling to a place where he might give video evidence, risks to his life."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-17/former-asio-agent-statement-to-attend-royal-commission/107044130

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24961475 (220925ZAUG26) Notable: Ex-ASIO agent can give evidence to Bondi royal commission in open hearings, minister confirms - Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says former ASIO agent Marcus can give evidence to the Bondi royal commission publicly and remotely, arguing he does not need to return to Australia to testify. Marcus claims he warned ASIO about Bondi gunmen Sajid and Naveed Akram years before last December's terror attack and wants to testify in Australia because of security concerns and legal protections. Burke said ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess had advised that Marcus's evidence was declassified and could be given openly by phone or Microsoft Teams. Marcus's first Australian visa application was rejected and a second remains pending. Whistleblower advocates maintain he faces danger abroad and should be permitted to testify on Australian soil.

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>>75031

>>75037

Ex-ASIO agent can give evidence to Bondi royal commission in open hearings, minister confirms

Tom Lowrey - 21 August 2026

A former ASIO agent who wants to give evidence to the Bondi royal commission can do so in open hearings, the Home Affairs minister says, meaning he does not need a visa to travel to Australia.

It is the first time Tony Burke has publicly addressed the man's intent to testify after previously denying his Australian visa request.

The former agent, known as Marcus, wants to give evidence about what he knew of the Bondi gunmen in the years before last December's terror attack.

He spent years infiltrating Islamic extremist groups in western Sydney, working as a paid source for domestic spy agency ASIO before his cover was blown.

Marcus has repeatedly made a case to give evidence from within Australia, due both to the sensitivity of his evidence and the legal protections he gains from being on Australian soil.

The royal commission has previously held classified hearings to ensure it can take evidence on sensitive intelligence information.

Mr Burke told reporters this morning he had been advised any evidence Marcus gives can be heard in public and heard remotely.

"Mike Burgess, the director-general of ASIO, has advised and made clear to the royal commission that any evidence that would come from this particular individual is declassified," he said.

"He's happy for it to be given in a complete public forum. It could be given over the phone on (Microsoft) Teams. It could be given in any way that the individual wants."

The royal commission has previously reached out to Marcus, it stated it is "eager" to hear his evidence and work out the best means for that to take place.

He is currently living abroad and cannot reach an Australian embassy.

Separately, NSW Police has also reached out to the former agent seeking assistance with its own investigations into last December's shooting.

Marcus has expressed fears for his personal safety while living overseas. He has sought protection and resettlement in Australia in the past.

His first visa application was rejected on the grounds that immigration authorities did not believe he had a genuine intention to leave the country, and his second application remains pending.

Mr Burke said the applications have followed all the normal channels.

"The department has its normal processes in working out whether or not someone qualifies for a visa under the Migration Act, and there hasn't been interference with that process," he said.

"The department looks at the Migration Act, looks at the application, and makes their own decision."

Advocates maintain call for visa

Whistleblower advocates have continued to back Marcus' cause, arguing the safest place for the former agent to give evidence is on Australian soil.

Marcus has previously told the ABC's Four Corners about his interactions with the Bondi gunmen, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

He claims he warned ASIO about the Akrams years before the attack.

ASIO has described the former agent as disgruntled and unreliable, but Marcus has rejected the characterisations.

Gabriel Shipton, from the whistleblower advocacy group the Information Rights Project, said he is in danger abroad.

"The protections offered by the royal commission do not extend outside Australia," he said.

"Marcus continues to risk his safety and the safety of his family. He is willing to give evidence and again the government is not acknowledging the threats he is under from the associates of the Akrams."

The group has provided support to the former agent as he lives overseas.

Mr Shipton said he should be allowed to give his evidence within Australia.

"The government has left it up to Information Rights to keep one of its ex-employees safe after years of undercover service, and again the minister has shown they are not serious about hearing evidence that contradicts the facts given by the institution in his own ministry."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-21/ex-asio-agent-can-give-bondi-rc-evidence-in-open-hearing-burke/107064756

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24961568 (221043ZAUG26) Notable: Forensic inquiry or ‘tokenistic’: Will royal commission deliver solutions to antisemitism crisis? - Former Federal Court judge Ronald Sackville has praised the antisemitism royal commission’s collection of testimony but criticised its limited use of compulsory powers and forensic examination. He argues attributing responsibility could expose perpetrators and vindicate victims. Other critics question why Commissioner Virginia Bell has avoided rigorous cross-examination, omitted prominent witnesses and abandoned some lines of inquiry. Former federal police commissioner Mick Keelty blamed restrictive terms of reference, while Jewish community activist Menachem Vorchheimer questioned whether an emphasis on social cohesion had prevented examination of groups promoting antisemitism. Bondi victim Boris Tetleroyd’s niece Jenny Roytur called the inquiry “tokenistic”. Supporters nevertheless credit its documentation of Jewish experiences, social media hearings and examination of deradicalisation programs, while hoping its final recommendations produce meaningful change.

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>>75031

Forensic inquiry or ‘tokenistic’: Will royal commission deliver solutions to antisemitism crisis?

With four months left, the antisemitism royal commission’s strongest proponents are questioning if it has sufficiently used its extraordinary legal powers - or let them go to waste.

JAMES DOWLING - 17 August 2026

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The survivors and bereaved of the Bondi massacre milled through the function room tucked inside the Bondi Pavilion and found their seats, before newly appointed royal commissioner Virginia Bell strode in to meet them.

The former High Court judge had called the private meeting on February 26 to explain why she couldn’t call evidence from the attendees as part of a royal commission they had advocated passionately for.

Two days earlier, she had given a stony-faced assurance at an introduction to the inquiry that she could confidently deconstruct the December 14 attack’s precursors without examining the day’s events.

She explained this again, in softer terms, to the survivors before her. Then she took questions.

“Do you have enough time?” one attendee asked.

“There’s never enough time,” she replied.

Now, six months later, a serious question remains: Will Bell’s final report deliver meaningful solutions to the antisemitism crisis, or simply underline the limits of the process?

A polite inquiry

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, during the government’s push against the campaign for the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission, argued it would only risk retraumatising Jews and give yet another platform to violent bigots.

He need not have worried.

The probe has kept an exceptionally wide berth around the antisemites it is tasked with disarming, and attracted criticism in doing so for failing to properly get under the hood of the issue it is striving to resolve.

Public hearings commenced in February, and dozens of witnesses have testified during multi-week hearing blocks.

Behind the scenes, lawyers have worked to uncover evidence to help form the basis of the commissioner’s final report, including classified details of security and intelligence operations.

Though certain elements of the commission will remain confidential, public perception in an inquiry of this kind is arguably as vital as its private proceedings.

With four months left to prepare her final report, some of the commission’s most vocal cheerleaders are questioning why it refuses to flex the unmatched legal powers at its disposal.

Jewish community leaders, senior judicial figures and national security experts have observed gaps in its process: avoiding cross-examination of protest organisers, not calling as witnesses government ministers or key proponents for a royal commission, such as former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and failing to apply forensic judgment against the perpetrators of antisemitism.

Many Jewish leaders The Australian contacted did not want to speak for fear of damaging public trust in an inquiry they spent so much energy advocating for. Others would talk only under the condition of anonymity.

Almost universally, they praised the commission’s first two weeks of hearings, which collected the testimony of dozens of Jewish Australians and gave a panoramic view of the antisemitism crisis.

Its social media hearings and examination of deradicalisation programs also emerged as bright spots over past months.

‘Bloodless’

Former Federal Court judge Ronald Sackville, who chaired the disability royal commission, said the wealth of testimony and written submissions – particularly regarding lived experiences of antisemitism – will make Bell’s commission an “extremely valuable resource” for the future.

“This has been cathartic for a grieving Jewish community and has brought home to many in the broader Australian community the gravity and pervasiveness of antisemitism in recent years. We will only know in the longer term whether the evidence has materially changed community attitudes, but it has the potential to do so,” Sackville said.

“It is important to stress that the royal commission has done some very important and very good work. It has attracted over 20,000 submissions. Many contain powerful personal accounts of antisemitism. Others are thoughtful and sometimes scholarly analyses of significant social and policy questions.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24961617 (221054ZAUG26) Notable: ‘Absolute no’: Judge rejects year-long trial delay for Bankstown nurses - The trial of former Bankstown Hospital nurses Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir has been rescheduled for October 12 after a judge rejected a proposed delay until December 2027. The pair allegedly threatened violence against Israeli patients in a video recorded by Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky. Their August 31 trial was vacated after prosecutors introduced expert testimony from Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan, leaving the defence at an “unacceptable forensic disadvantage”. Judge Siobhan Herbert rejected the proposed year-long delay as a “total and absolute no” and ordered lawyers to find an earlier date. The trial will now run for seven to 10 days, with expert evidence and cross-examination potentially bringing the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict into focus. Both former nurses have pleaded not guilty.

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>>75006

>>75019

>>75030

‘Absolute no’: Judge rejects year-long trial delay for Bankstown nurses

BIMINI PLESSER - 21 August 2026

The criminal trial for two nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital has been rescheduled, with the hearing set to run six weeks later and twice as long as it was supposed to.

Former nurses Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir made global headlines last year after Israeli influencer Max Ilinsky recorded them allegedly threatening violence against Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital, in Sydney’s west.

More than 18 months after they were stood down from their jobs at NSW Health, Mr Nadir and Ms Abu Lebdeh were finally due to face a five-day trial, starting August 31.

But the last-minute introduction of expert testimony on the Israel-Palestine conflict forced a judge to vacate the trial.

On August 5, the prosecution revealed it would call Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan to give evidence. The defence argued it had insufficient time to analyse or challenge Dr Shanahan’s expert opinion.

NSW District Court judge Paul Conlon vacated the planned trial last week, accepting the defence’s submissions that the late introduction of new evidence left them at an “unacceptable forensic disadvantage”.

On Friday morning, solicitors Zemarai Khatiz and Rayan Kadadi appeared before Parramatta District Court to set a new trial date.

Ms Kadadi, representing Ms Abu Lebdeh, suggested the earliest available dates when the prosecution, defence, and all expert and international witnesses were available was December next year.

Judge Siobhan Herbert immediately rejected the submission, saying, “That is a total and absolute no.”

“I can give you a trial date in October this year. I am not listing any trial in December next year,” she said.

Judge Herbert asked the solicitors to leave the courtroom and return once they’d settled on a realistic new hearing date.

Ms Kadadi and Mr Khatiz returned a while later, telling Judge Herbert a trial beginning October 12 was suitable, but five days was not enough time to cover all the evidence.

They said the hearing would now need to run for seven to 10 days to accommodate all expert witness testimony and cross-examination.

With both the Crown and defence procuring expert witnesses and preparing cross-examinations, the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict could become a focus of the nurses’ case when it finally goes to trial.

Judge Herbert accepted the new timeline, setting a longer trial for October and a case management hearing for September.

The former Bankstown Hospital nurses have both pleaded not guilty to using a carriage ­service to menace, harass or offend, and Ms Abu Lebdeh has pleaded not guilty to an ­additional charge of threatening violence to a group.

They have been stood down from their jobs by NSW Health and issued a two-year ban from working with NDIS participants.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/absolute-no-judge-rejects-yearlong-trial-delay-for-bankstown-nurses/news-story/bdf9f126d033ae3c47b6ed1f25ccb887

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24967662 (240926ZAUG26) Notable: Melbourne lord mayor tells antisemitism royal commission social cohesion is 'fraying' - Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has told the antisemitism royal commission that social cohesion in the city has been “fraying” since the Gaza war began in 2023. Reece said synagogues had been graffitied almost weekly and a rapid-response program had removed more than 3,000 hateful items, including an estimated 800 to 1,000 antisemitic examples. He called for Commonwealth or other government funding to help councils operate similar programs, saying some residents were afraid to enter the city because of protests and threatening material. NSW Premier Chris Minns separately indicated he was open to extending the royal commission by several weeks if necessary. Commissioner Virginia Bell SC remains committed to delivering the final report within the existing timeframe.

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>>75031

Melbourne lord mayor tells antisemitism royal commission social cohesion is 'fraying'

Phoebe Pin - 24 August 2026

There has been a "fraying" of social cohesion in Melbourne since the start of the war in Gaza, the city's lord mayor has told the antisemitism royal commission.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has entered its final week of public hearings, with a final report due before the first anniversary of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece appeared at the inquiry on Monday to discuss the challenges the local government had faced in addressing division in the community since the outbreak of war in 2023.

"We saw a significant rise of protest in Melbourne and … some fraying of cohesion in our city," he said.

"I've found it to be one of the most challenging issues I've had to face as lord mayor of Melbourne."

Melbourne has the largest population of Jewish Australians in the country.

Synagogues spray-painted with 'threatening' graffiti

Mr Reece said synagogues in Melbourne had been graffitied on a near weekly basis since the start of the war in Gaza.

He said a targeted initiative aimed at removing "menacing" and "threatening" graffiti within one hour of reporting had cleaned more than 3,000 hateful items.

Mr Reece said of those, between 800 and 1,000 items of graffiti were antisemitic in nature.

"One of the things that has been most upsetting to me over the last two-and-a-half years is people telling me they are afraid to come into the city," he said.

"That was particularly focused around some of the protest activity we were seeing, but it was also focused around some of the awful materials we were seeing being put up around the city."

The commission heard one of the incidents which occurred in January 2026 required the removal of 40 posters which depicted one of the Bondi Beach shooters behind the word "Aussie".

Mr Reece said the city was working with other inner-city local governments to expand the rapid response initiative, which was resource intensive.

"It's very expensive," he said.

"One recommendation I would make to the commission is that you do give consideration to some sort of funding program from the Commonwealth or another level of government that would allow local governments who want to implement policies like this to do so," he said.

NSW premier open to extension call

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Chris Minns has weighed in on discussions about the length of the royal commission.

Last week, Liberal MP Julian Leeser made a bid to extend the inquiry and to call government ministers and the prime minister to give evidence.

Mr Minns on Monday said he had spoken to witnesses who had been "satisfied" with the royal commission so far.

"But, you know, if we need to go a couple of weeks longer, given that most of the expense was spent setting it up, that would seem to be money well spent because both the federal and the and the state government are relying on these recommendations to shape some of our policy," he said.

The royal commission previously said Commissioner Virginia Bell SC was "committed to completing the final report within the timeframe set in the Letters Patent".

"The Royal Commission is currently holding its ninth and final hearing block which concludes late August 2026," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"We've heard from more than 200 witnesses and received over 20,000 submissions as part of our inquiry."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-24/social-cohesion-royal-commission-hears-from-melbourne-lord-mayor/107070748

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24967669 (240935ZAUG26) Notable: Chris Minns says antisemitism royal commission should run a ‘couple of weeks’ more if needed - and it would be worth it - NSW Premier Chris Minns has backed extending the antisemitism royal commission by a “couple of weeks” if necessary, saying additional time would be “money well spent” given governments will use its recommendations to shape policy. Independent Jewish advocate Marnie Perlstein has launched a petition seeking an extension and questioned why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and senior ministers have not been called to give evidence. The federal Coalition has also pressed for more time, with opposition MPs Julian Leeser and Michaelia Cash citing “significant unfinished business”. The Albanese government previously blocked debate on a Coalition extension motion. Minns said he hoped the commission would hear from as many people as possible and establish fundamental truths surrounding antisemitism and the Bondi attack.

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>>75031

Chris Minns says antisemitism royal commission should run a ‘couple of weeks’ more if needed - and it would be worth it

JAMES DOWLING and LACHLAN LEEMING - 24 August 2026

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NSW Premier Chris Minns has backed extending the antisemitism royal commission by a “couple of weeks” if required, saying the move would be “money well spent” and putting him at odds with his federal counterparts.

Mr Minns on Monday said his government and the commonwealth were relying on recommendations from the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission to form government policy.

Because of that, he said, he hoped the commission would speak to “as large a number of people as possible”.

“If we need to go a couple of weeks longer, given that most of the expense was spent setting it up, that would seem to be money well spent, because both the federal and the state government are relying on those recommendations to shape some of our policy,” he said at a press conference.

He said he had spoken to Jewish leaders who have appeared at the royal commission thus far, relaying that they had been happy with the platform they had been given.

“Given the expense and time that’s gone into the royal commission, and the fact that we’re not going to have another one for a long period of time, we are using this royal commission to get to the fundamental truths of what happened on the day, and also what happened in the lead up to that day, particularly around antisemitism,” he said, referring to the Bondi mass shooting.

“I’m hopeful that it will speak to as large a number of people as possible, and genuinely get the perspective of the community.

“I’ve also spoken to people who have given evidence … and thus far they’ve been satisfied both with the hearing they got and the platform that enabled them to make their case.”

The commission begins its final week of hearings on Monday and is focusing on social cohesion.

Independent Jewish advocate Marnie Perlstein, the organiser behind a petition for a royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack that attracted 94,000 signatories, launched a new campaign on Sunday for an extension.

More than 2600 people had signed her new petition as of Monday afternoon and Ms Perlstein urged royal commissioner Virginia Bell to request an extension if it was “what the public is asking for”.

Mainstream Jewish community leaders have stayed hush on the prospect of an extension, but Ms Perlstein said she hoped a petition would show the public’s prevailing view.

“It affects potentially every single taxpayer in this country and that the public should have an opportunity to use their voice and have their opinion heard, and they can do that by choosing to sign or not sign the petition,” she told The Australian. “We will know over the next few days and weeks what the public truly thinks.

“There’s been a gap in terms of holding political leaders to account, those who failed in leadership: our Prime Minister, Tony Burke, Penny Wong, the people who made key decisions after October 7th, 2023.

“If it was a criminal case, you would call the person accused of a crime to the stand, and the people that are - in my mind - the most guilty of spreading racial hatred in Australia have not been called to give evidence.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24970971 (250905ZAUG26) Notable: Royal commission to end by Wednesday [August 26], shortening final hearings - Antisemitism royal commissioner Virginia Bell has confirmed public hearings will conclude two days earlier than scheduled, while maintaining the December 14 deadline for her final report. The ninth and final hearing block will end Wednesday [August 26] with closing statements from Bell and counsel assisting. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called the early conclusion a “betrayal of the Jewish community”, while Liberal MP Julian Leeser argued Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could extend the inquiry and should do so. NSW Premier Chris Minns has also backed a short extension if required. Independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender cautioned politicians against directing an independent royal commission. Some senior Jewish community figures privately support retaining the deadline, while a public petition seeking an extension had attracted about 4,600 signatures.

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>>75031

>>75042

Royal commission to end by Wednesday, shortening final hearings

JAMES DOWLING - 25 August 2026

Antisemitism royal commissioner Virginia Bell has restated her commitment to a December 14 deadline and confirmed she will end hearings two days early, despite escalating calls for the probe to be extended.

A spokesperson for the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission confirmed it would end its ninth and final hearing block on Wednesday - despite setting aside the rest of the week for evidence - after The Australian first reported it had called the majority of its last witnesses and was eyeing an early conclusion.

Ms Bell and her counsel assisting will each provide closing statements during Wednesday’s hearing.

“Following hearings, the royal commission will focus on preparation of the final report,” the spokesperson said.

“The commissioner is committed to completing the final report within the timeframe set in the letters patent.”

It has and will hear from a collection of sporting groups on Tuesday, including the Australian Rugby League, Netball Australia and Jewish sports organisation Maccabi Australia. The sporting anti-racism organisation Reflect Forward and migrant support group Settlement Services International are also on Tuesday’s witness list.

On Tuesday, Angus Taylor said the abrupt end to public hearings constitutes a “betrayal of the Jewish community”.

“It is absolutely the wrong thing to do. This is a government that has never wanted this royal commission. They did it under duress and there are clear witnesses that need to be called that haven’t been,” he told News24.

“There needs to be transparency and accountability. We owe that to the families. We owe that to the Jewish community. We owe that to all Australians.

The Opposition leader rebuffed suggestions that the government was limited in its ability to extend the commission and should defer to royal commissioner Virginia Bell, saying “if the government wanted to fix it, they can fix it”.

Senior figures among the mainstream Jewish community groups have privately said Ms Bell should hold herself to the commission’s December 14 deadline, or even have it ready before the beginning of Hanukkah on December 4. However, a growing portion of the public have pushed for the commission to be extended and a petition to that effect had accrued 4600 signatures by Tuesday morning.

Parliament’s most senior Jewish MP Julian Leeser last week campaigned for an extension to the commission and said on Tuesday its premature end to hearings should be reversed.

“Let me be clear: responsibility for the early end to this commission lies entirely with the Prime Minister,” he said.

“It was the Prime Minister who wrote the terms of reference and set the deadlines, and even now it is the Prime Minister who could extend the commission. It is only his stubborn refusal to extend its terms of reference that is getting in the way.

“We, as a nation, will not prevent another attack if we don’t hold people to account who allowed the hatred to fester into violence. The message we will send is that there is no consequence for a failure to lead; no responsibility for the actions that set the conditions for tragedy.”

Independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender said these calls risked politicising an inquiry she said should remain independent.

“We should be trying to step away from the politics of this,” she told News24. “We should be careful as politicians to be telling an independent royal commission what they should be doing and how they should be conducting their activities.

“I’m conscious that some of those peak bodies of the Jewish community haven’t been backing this (extension).”

NSW Premier Chris Minns on Monday said he would back an extension of a “couple of weeks” if required and said it would be “money well spent”, departing from the position of the federal government who have emphasised the “independence” of Ms Bell’s inquiry and gagged debate in parliament of an extension.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/royal-commission-to-end-by-wednesday-shortening-final-hearings/news-story/3ce68938c37be936997c6f7d879291f6

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24970997 (250915ZAUG26) Notable: Sydney graffiti vandal Mohammed Farhat denied parole after board rules he holds extremist views - The NSW State Parole Authority has denied early release to Mohammed Farhat, ruling his 2024 graffiti offences reflected a “deep-seated” antisemitic extremist ideology and that he could engage in or incite violence. The decision contrasts with NSW Supreme Court Justice Desmond Fagan’s finding that Farhat was a “vandal for hire” motivated by money rather than ideology and did not pose a significant terrorism risk. Fagan recently rejected an application to impose a one-year supervision order after Farhat’s release and criticised the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism as imprecise. The parole authority rejected Farhat’s explanation of his motivation and questioned his rehabilitation. Farhat will remain imprisoned until his 20-month sentence expires in October, while NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley is considering an appeal.

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>>75018

Sydney graffiti vandal denied parole after board rules he holds extremist views

CHRISTINE MIDDAP and ELIZABETH PIKE - 24 August 2026

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The NSW parole authority has ruled that a man who went on a “f*k Israel” graffiti spree through Sydney’s eastern suburbs will not be granted early release because he had not resiled from his “extremist views’’ and may engage or incite others to violence.

The findings in the case of Mohommed Farhat, 22, handed down on Monday, are in stark contrast to a Supreme Court judge’s decision that Farhat carried out the graffiti and vandalism attack for money, not ideology, and had suffered an injustice by being wrongly labelled antisemitic.

Justice Desmond Fagan recently refused an application by the state to place Farhat on a one-year supervision order under the Terrorism Act when he is released from prison, finding the young Muslim man was a “vandal for hire” and did not pose a significant terror threat.

He said he wanted his central findings to be communicated to the State Parole Authority “to be taken into account, to the extent the authority might see fit’’ in finalising its decision on Farhat’s review of its decision last year that he would not be eligible for parole because he posed a serious identifiable risk to the community.

It is unclear whether the parole authority, which heard Farhat’s case in March but only handed down its determination on Monday, considered Justice Fagan’s judgment. It did not accept Farhat’s explanation that he was not motivated by antisemitism, but was offered money by an anonymous source to carry out the attack in the large Jewish neighbourhood of Woollahra in 2024.

“In the authority’s view, the offending was reflective of a deep-seated adherence on the part of the offender to an extremist ideology of an antisemitic character,’’ the parole board said.

The parole authority doubted Farhat’s story and his commitment to rehabilitation.

“Such doubt stems, in part, from what the authority considers to be the offender’s unacceptable account of his motivation to become involved in the offending, and his asserted (and equally unacceptable) ignorance of the ideology which underpinned it.

“In the authority’s view, those matters are inconsistent with a willingness on the part of the offender to come to terms with, and address, what it regards as his adherence to such ideology.”

Under the finding Farhat will not be released until October, when his 20-month sentence expires. The NSW Attorney-General, Michael Daley, is seeking urgent legal advice on a possible appeal against Justice Fagan’s refusal to order special monitoring of Farhat when he is released, while Farhat’s legal team is considering a possible action for miscarriage of justice.

Justice Fagan’s decision has attracted widespread attention, not just for its findings on Farhat but due to the detailed arguments distinguishing anti-Israel speech from antisemitism and his criticism of a widely adopted definition of antisemitism.

He was critical of the “inept drafting’’ of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, saying it was verbose and imprecise and was being used to stifle debate by conflating political criticism of Israel with Jewish hatred.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24974480 (260932ZAUG26) Notable: Antisemitism royal commission a ‘lost opportunity’ without an extension: security chiefs - Thirty former national security and defence leaders, including David Hurley, have urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to extend the antisemitism royal commission, warning it risks becoming a “lost opportunity”. The group said the inquiry’s timetable had prevented detailed examination of antisemitism, Islamist and other extremism, follow-up investigations and testimony from witnesses. It also called it “surprising and regrettable” that federal ministers were unlikely to testify given their responsibility for budgets, policy and intelligence priorities. Commissioner Virginia Bell remains committed to delivering her report by December 14 and will conclude public hearings two days early. NSW Premier Chris Minns and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor support extending the inquiry, while independent MP Allegra Spender has warned against politicians compromising the commission’s independence.

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Antisemitism royal commission a ‘lost opportunity’ without an extension: security chiefs

'JAMES DOWLING - 26 August 2026

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A group of the nation’s most eminent national security leaders, including former governor-general David Hurley, has demanded the antisemitism royal commission urgently be extended, raising concerns no cabinet ministers have been called to give evidence, and arguing the inquiry has not had enough time to thoroughly understand the rise of antisemitism or Islamist extremism.

As Commissioner Virginia Bell on Monday announced public hearings would be cut short by two days, the distinguished intelligence and defence experts said the long-sought probe would be a “lost opportunity” unless granted an extension, and its year-long time frame meant it was impossible for vital witnesses to be called.

Issuing a direct plea to Anthony Albanese to extend the inquiry, the group also said it was “regrettable” that federal ministers would not be called to testify considering the government’s role in establishing budgets and setting policy priorities.

“The speed with which the royal commission has been forced to conduct its hearings has not allowed detailed review of the rise of antisemitism, Islamist and other forms of extremism in Australia,” the group’s open letter reads.

“It does not give the royal commissioner the opportunity to follow up lines of investigation in light of subsequent evidence, and it has not made it possible for some individuals to give evidence who clearly have valuable contributions to make.”

The collection of eminent Australians includes Mr Hurley, former Australian Secret Intelligence Service chiefs Paul Symon and Rex Stevenson, ex-Australian Federal Police chief Mick Keelty, ex-army chiefs Peter Leahy and Rick Burr, former Australian Defence College commander Mick Ryan, former air force chiefs Geoffrey Brown and Geoffrey Shepherd, ex-navy chief David Shackleton, former Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo and ex-Defence Department deputy secretary Peter Jennings.

The 30 undersigned military and national security chiefs were key advocates for the royal commission, having signed a similar joint statement calling for its establishment.

A spokesperson for the commission on Tuesday restated Justice Bell’s commitment to deliver her final report by the Albanese government’s December 14 deadline, and confirmed she would end the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission’s ninth and final hearing block on Wednesday, despite setting aside the rest of the week for evidence.

The Australian first revealed the commission had called the majority of its last witnesses and was eyeing an early conclusion.

Justice Bell and her counsel assisting will each provide closing statements during Wednesday’s hearing, at which Holocaust survivor and former Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Nina Bassat, and Chabad of Bondi rabbi Yehoram Ulman – father-in-law of Bondi victim Eli Schlanger – will be the last Jewish Australians to give evidence.

“Following hearings, the royal commission will focus on preparation of the final report,” the spokesperson said.

“The commissioner is committed to completing the final report within the time frame set in the letters patent.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns on Monday said he would back an extension of a “couple of weeks” if required and that it would be “money well spent”, departing from the position of the federal government, which has emphasised the “independence” of Justice Bell’s inquiry and gagged parliamentary debate on an extension.

“As a matter of urgency, the federal government must extend the deadline for completion of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion,” the letter says. “If the royal commission is not allowed the time and scope needed to do its work, this will have been a lost opportunity to build social cohesion in Australia.

“Given the well understood principle of ministerial responsibility, it is surprising and regrettable that ministers are unlikely to be called. It is the government, not officials, which determines budgets, sets policy priorities, has access to the full intelligence picture and ensures that officials are focused on the key tasks.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24974491 (260942ZAUG26) Notable: Antisemitism royal commission pushes back final report to avoid Bondi massacre anniversary - Antisemitism royal commissioner Virginia Bell has moved the inquiry’s final report from December 14 to December 18 to avoid distracting from commemorations marking the first anniversary of the Bondi terror attack. Bell declined a meaningful extension despite growing calls for further hearings, acknowledging frustration that investigations into what led to the attack have largely occurred behind closed doors to avoid prejudicing Naveed Akram’s criminal trial. She intends to seek publication of substantial confidential findings after proceedings conclude. The commission is still seeking evidence from former ASIO agent “Marcus”, who claims he warned the agency about Sajid and Naveed Akram in 2019. Over four months, the commission heard 346 witnesses across 62 hearing days and received more than 20,000 submissions.

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Antisemitism royal commission pushes back final report to avoid Bondi massacre anniversary

JAMES DOWLING - 26 August 2026

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Virginia Bell has accepted some Jewish Australians may find it “frustrating” that the antisemitism royal commission has not publicly probed what led to the Bondi terror attack, while pushing back the release of her final report to not distract from the one year anniversary.

In delivering her closing address to the commission, Ms Bell announced she would push her final report back by four days to December 18, to avoid becoming a “distraction” from commemorations on December 14 attack where 15 Australians were shot dead.

However, she did not announce any meaningful extension to proceedings despite 30 national security leaders on Wednesday warning the commission would be a “lost opportunity” unless expanded.

“The commission has worked to address each of the terms of reference in accordance with that timetable, and I do not seek any meaningful extension of it,” Ms Bell said.

“The 14th of December is the anniversary of the massacre. It will be a solemn occasion marked by memorials. I am aware of concern within the Jewish community that the delivery of the report on the anniversary would be a distraction.

“I fully understand that concern, and to avoid that distraction, I have asked for a short extension of the term, with a view to the submission of my final report on Friday, the 18th of December.”

The Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission is holding its final day of public hearings despite rising calls for its deadline to be extended, with Holocaust survivor Nina Bassat and the father-in-law of Bondi victim Eli Schlanger, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, to be called as its last witnesses.

Ms Bell said in her closing address she would lobby for confidential portions of her interim and final reports to be released publicly after the criminal trial of alleged terrorist Naveed Akram.

Ms Bell said the commission had gathered substantial evidence about the Bondi massacre it could not release without risking prejudice of the Akram trial, but would release relevant portions of its interim and final reports when the risk of prejudice diminished.

“I am conscious that many members of the community, and particularly members of the Jewish community, must find it frustrating that a royal commission established in the aftermath of the Bondi Hanukkah attack has not been seen publicly to be investigating what led to the attack and whether it might have been prevented,” she said.

“The commission has had to take care to conduct its inquiry in a way that does not occasion prejudice to pending criminal proceedings, and this has necessitated examination of ... the attack being conducted in closed hearings.

“The outcome of those hearings will be the subject of a confidential volume to the commission’s final report. After the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, I propose that substantial parts of the confidential volumes of the interim and final reports should be made public.”

Ms Bell did not foreshadow any of her findings but said she had made up her mind about whether “in relation to the Bondi Hanukkah attack, our intelligence and our law enforcement agencies operated or performed to maximum effectiveness”.

She said the commission was still trying to hear from a high-profile ASIO whistleblower with the pseudonym “Marcus” who claims he met the alleged perpetrators of the Bondi massacre, Sajid and Naveed Akram, in 2019 as an undercover agent within Sydney’s Salafi Jihadist extremist movement.

Lawyers for the commission had already spoken to Marcus without collecting testimony, and his written reports to ASIO from 2019 had been the subject of confidential cross-examination when the commission spoke to members of the spy organisation.

“Marcus is overseas. According to reports, he has been refused a visa to return to Australia,” Ms Bell said.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke previously said ASIO and his government would not try and block Marcus from giving evidence or legally pursue him over his contents. Ms Bell said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had offered to assist him in providing evidence.

“The commission proposed any date in the fortnight beginning 24 August in this respect. Marcus’s solicitors have responded, expressing his concern that this option doesn’t engage certain legal protections, and to date, Marcus has not taken up the offer,” she said.

“The commission is in possession of the contemporaneous reports detailing the information that Marcus gave to ASIO in 2019. The ASIO officers who were responsible for assessing that information at the time have been called to give evidence at closed hearings of the commission, and have been examined on those documents.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24974505 (260948ZAUG26) Notable: Final witnesses at royal commission accuse government of antisemitism ‘silence’ - The final witnesses at the antisemitism royal commission have criticised Australian leaders’ response to rising antisemitism and urged governments to act on the inquiry’s recommendations. Chabad of Bondi Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, whose son-in-law Eli Schlanger was killed in the Bondi terror attack, said Australia faced a choice between allowing hatred to grow and confronting it through stronger leadership and institutional standards. Holocaust survivor and former Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Nina Bassat accused federal, state and local governments of a “great silence” after the October 7 Hamas attacks, asking when silence becomes complicity. She said Australia had become increasingly divided and called for greater civility. Ulman said meaningful reform would depend on governments and institutions implementing the commission’s forthcoming recommendations.

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Final witnesses at royal commission accuse government of antisemitism ‘silence’

JAMES DOWLING - 26 August 2026

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Australia’s leaders did not protect Jews from antisemitism, the final witnesses of the antisemitism royal commission have declared, saying the government must take up the plight of the inquiry’s Jewish witnesses.

Chabad of Bondi rabbi Yehoram Ulman, the father-in-law of Bondi victim Eli Schlanger, delivered the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission’s closing address after Holocaust survivor Nina Bassat said the Albanese government had failed her community by projecting a “great silence” after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Rabbi Ulman became emotional speaking about how his infant grandson will have to come to understand Eli Schlanger’s death.

“My grandson was just two months old when his father Eli lost his life,” he said. “One day, he will be old enough to understand what happened on 14 December 2025.

“I wonder what Australia he will know by then. Will he learn that the warning signs were there, that hatred was allowed to grow, and that even after Bondi, Australia failed to change course?

“Or will he learn that Bondi became a moment when Australia understood where unchecked hatred can lead, found the courage to confront it, and chose another path?

“My prayer is that when my grandson is old enough to understand what happened to his father, he will also be able to understand what Australia chose to do about it. And that he will be proud of the choice we made.”

He said the commission’s recommendations had to be heeded by governments and institutions when they were delivered or serious reform would be impossible.

“This commission has listened. Australia has heard. Soon there will be findings and recommendations. Then the responsibility passes to governments, institutions, communities and every one of us. Australia is at a crossroads,” Rabbi Ulman said.

“Our institutions need clear boundaries, firm standards and leadership that distinguishes between what is right and what is wrong. What is free speech and what is hate speech. What is a protest and what is intimidation and vilification.

“I know an Australia where survivors of the Holocaust came and rebuilt their lives; where Jews built synagogues and schools, raised families and contributed to every part of national life, without having to choose between being proudly Jewish and proudly Australian.

“That Australia has not gone. I believe it is still the Australia that the overwhelming majority of Australians want. But we should not assume it will preserve itself.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24977799 (270940ZAUG26) Notable: Zeinab Ahmad: ISIS bride accused of keeping sex slave launches fresh bid for freedom - ISIS-linked Australian Zeinab Ahmad has launched a Supreme Court bail bid, arguing she renounced the extremist group after becoming a mother in 2019 and poses no threat to the community. Ahmad, 31, was arrested after returning to Melbourne in May and charged with crimes against humanity, including allegations involving a sex slave. The Australian Federal Police opposes bail, citing social media posts expressing support for Islamic State and hostility towards the United States and its allies. Psychiatrist Rajan Darjee testified that motherhood represented an important change in Ahmad’s identity and assessed her as posing no risk of directly committing or organising terrorism. Her lawyers proposed strict conditions including living with her uncle, regular police reporting, internet restrictions and remaining in Victoria. Justice James Elliott will reserve his decision.

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Zeinab Ahmad: ISIS bride accused of keeping sex slave launches fresh bid for freedom

Rebekah Cavanagh - August 27, 2026

An ISIS bride accused of keeping a sex slave has launched a fresh bid for freedom, claiming she renounced her allegiance to the violent extremist group the moment she became a mother seven years ago.

Zeinab Ahmad fronted the Supreme Court on Thursday, arguing she is not a threat to anyone and just wants to be released to be with her daughter.

The bold move comes just two months after she was declared an unacceptable risk to the community and refused bail by a Melbourne magistrate.

But the Australian Federal Police has opposed her release, pointing to social media posts she made between 2015 and 2017, stating how she had moved to Syria with her husband for the cause.

“A lot of people will be shocked by this as it was never in my plan,” she allegedly wrote.

Other posts included the words “May Allah deal with all the oppressive tyrants from all over the world” and suggestions to “destroy the United States and its allies”.

The court heard Ms Ahmad, 31, insists her ties to the brutal terror group ended when her daughter was born in a tent at a Syrian refugee camp in 2019.

Defence barrister Julie Condon, KC, said her client has also had no contact with the men who controlled and influenced her, being her father, and her three husbands since that time.

She called psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee, who testified that beliefs were not fixed, and that Ms Ahmad had “an important identity change” when she became a mum.

“Her identity as a mother takes over,” Dr Darjee told the court. “She’s got a daughter that has become the focus of her attention.”

Dr Darjee said Ms Ahmad told him during a two-hour assessment over video call how she had moved away from Islamic State’s hateful ideologies to protect her daughter.

The court heard she had been berated at the IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps for her clothing choices for her and her daughter, choosing to not cover her hair or face, and wearing shorts.

“Your mum’s not even a Muslim,” she claimed other refugees said to her daughter.

“It’s eminently compelling evidence before this court that the applicant, well before she faced this charge in May, that she conducted herself in a way which showed an unequivocal rejection of ISIS,” Ms Condon said.

She said her client was doing a diploma of nursing in Melbourne when her first husband took her to Syria in 2014. She believed they were going to Turkey to visit her family.

Ms Condon said Ms Ahmad described the time she spent overseas as “11 years of hell”, detailing how she was married three times in four years.

The court heard she does not feel safe in prison and likened her time in segregation in Dame Phyllis Frost Centre’s Gordon Unit as worse than the years she spent in refugee camps.

She has been kept from other inmates because of the high-profile nature of her case.

Dr Darjee believed Ms Ahmad “does not pose a risk” of directly committing or organising a terrorist act.

On May 7, Ms Ahmad was arrested when she was among a cohort of ISIS-linked women and children who flew into Melbourne.

She was then charged with crimes against humanity in an Australian-first.

Ms Condon proposed that if her client were granted bail, she would live with her uncle and report to her local police station three times a week.

Other conditions could be put in place, she said, including restricting her use of social media and not allowing her to have an internet-enabled mobile phone.

She also proposed a ban on attending international points of departure, or leaving Victoria.

The bail application will continue on Friday, but Justice James Elliott has indicated he will reserve his decision for a later date.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/isis-bride-accused-of-keeping-sex-slave-launches-fresh-bid-for-freedom/news-story/dcf080330c9aa7d86898c16a42a8e1d6

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24998837 (020928ZSEP26) Notable: Australia’s ‘Dr Jihad’ to face mass ISIS trial as Iraq demands action - Australian ISIS members are among thousands of captured jihadists moving towards trial in Iraq, with Baghdad urging countries including Australia to “assume responsibility” for their nationals. Perth-born paediatrician Tareq Kamleh, known as “Dr Jihad”, is among those expected to face prosecution after investigators concluded he worked in ISIS medical facilities and treated wounded fighters. Iraq has completed investigations into 5704 suspects transferred from northeastern Syria and will refer defendants to courts individually in batches. Other Australians potentially involved include Yusuf Zahab and Melbourne man Mohammed Ahmed, who may face allegations connected to the enslavement of Yazidi women. Iraq has called for international judicial co-operation, increasing pressure on the Albanese government, which has ruled out repatriating Australians detained over ISIS links.

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Australia’s ‘Dr Jihad’ to face mass ISIS trial as Iraq demands action

MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 2 September 2026

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Australians accused of fighting for ISIS are among thousands of captured jihadists being moved towards mass trials in Iraq, as Baghdad calls on countries including Australia to “assume responsibility” for the fate of their nationals.

The demand puts fresh pressure on the Albanese government, which has ruled out repatriating Australians detained over their links to the terror group and maintained it will not take ­responsibility.

Among those facing trial is Perth-born paediatrician Tareq Kamleh, the infamous ISIS fighter dubbed “Dr Jihad” who was presumed dead for almost a decade before The Australian revealed he was alive and imprisoned in Baghdad’s notorious Karkh Central Prison, adjacent to the international airport.

On Wednesday, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said the “international nature” of the cases meant countries whose nat­ionals were among detainees would need to work with Iraqi authorities as the cases moved into the trial phase.

The highest court in Baghdad called for “continued judicial co-operation” with the countries concerned and for the inter­national community to “assume its responsibility” for completing the procedures.

Iraq did not spell out what individual countries would be required to do, but the call opens the door for renewed engagement over the Australians, whose cases have until now been handled by Iraqi authorities.

The move follows the completion of mammoth investi­gations into all 5704 ISIS suspects transferred from northeastern Syria, with Iraq preparing to refer them to courts in batches.

It comes a month after The Australian exclusively revealed how Dr Jihad, the former Australian playboy turned ISIS propagandist, was alive and eager to come home.

Kamleh disappeared in Syria in 2015 and became one of the most recognisable Australian faces of the Islamic State propaganda machine. He survived the collapse of the terror group’s caliphate and was captured by US-backed Kurdish forces at Baghouz in 2019.

His fate has been shrouded in secrecy since his transfer to Iraq, where he was held in a high-­security prison as Iraqi authorities investigated his role in ISIS.

Iraqi investigators from the First Karkh Investigation Court found Kamleh had worked within ISIS’s so-called health department, used his medical qualifi­cations to provide treatment to wounded fighters and moved between medical facilities operated by the terrorist group.

Iraqi investigators said digital evidence and technical analysis showed Kamleh had worked in several ISIS medical facilities and provided first aid and treatment to wounded members during ­battles against security forces.

Now, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council has declared the investigation phase complete, paving the way for Kamleh and the other Australians to be referred to trial.

The trials will involve detainees from 67 nationalities, including 19 EU nationalities, 16 Arab nationalities and 32 other foreign nationalities.

There are 474 Iraqis and 3497 Syrians among the defendants, with other foreign nationals making up the remainder.

Another of the group may be Yusuf Zahab, now in his early 20s, who was taken to Syria at age 12.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25002347 (031001ZSEP26) Notable: Royal commission holds secret round table with creatives on arts sector antisemitism - Prominent Jewish creatives have privately addressed the antisemitism royal commission about discrimination and politicisation in Australia’s arts sector, as Commissioner Virginia Bell prepares her recommendations. Publisher Morry Schwartz and entertainment lawyer Michael Napthali were among participants in a closed-door Sydney roundtable discussing balance at writers’ festivals, education and civil discourse. The commission said informal engagements allow participants to share experiences, views and potential solutions, supplementing public hearings, written submissions and other evidence. Similar roundtables have examined antisemitism in universities and regional communities, while the commission has conducted more than 150 community engagements nationally. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said discussions could identify common experiences and help shape recommendations. Bell’s final report is due on December 18.

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Royal commission holds secret round table with creatives on arts sector antisemitism

ELIZABETH PIKE - 3 September 2026

Prominent Jewish creatives have provided private testimony to Virginia Bell’s royal commission team about how antisemitism has infiltrated the arts, in the latest of a series of secret round ­tables hosted to strengthen the evidence base of her final report.

Publisher Morry Schwartz and entertainment lawyer ­Michael Napthali were among the senior figures at the closed-door meeting in Sydney on Wednesday, with members pushing for better balance at writers’ festivals and offering ways to temper the politicisation of arts events.

Bell Shakespeare chair Philip Crutchfield KC, who wrote a powerful submission to the inquiry, was also invited but could not attend the meeting with the commission’s community ­engagement team due to court matters.

Sources said the decision to hold a private roundtable with board members and senior figures in the industry was designed to help develop solutions that would work for the sector while granting the attendees a level of protection.

The revelation that formal discussions with key parties were being done in private comes after the royal commission drew criticism for being too shallow in its examination of antisemitism in its public hearings.

Roundtables have also been held on antisemitism in universities and regional communities. A two-day event was held in the NSW Northern Rivers with Jewish communities in mid-August.

On Wednesday, arts roundtable members shared examples of their experiences in the arts and discussed ways to tackle the scourge of antisemitism that has pervaded the sector since October 7, 2023, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting.

It also discussed the need for better education and ways the country could reclaim civil discourse, amid concerns Jewish voices have been silenced and ostracised in the sector.

Ms Bell previously heard ­during the public hearings from Jewish creatives who were ­cancelled, doxxed and faced ­exclusion from their peers as the arts sector became the frontline for anti-Jewish hatred in ­Australia.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the round ­tables were designed to help inform Ms Bell’s final recommendations, to be handed down on December 18 shortly after the one-year anniversary of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

“We know from the oral ­evidence and written submissions that suspicion or outright hatred of Jews has become entrenched in certain sectors of our society,” Mr Ryvchin told The Australian.

“We know also that the price of speaking up has often been death threats, boycotts and loss of income.

“These roundtables offer the opportunity for those who intimately understand what is happening to be heard and for the commissioner to identify themes and common experiences of Jewish Australians in particular industries and institutions to inform her recommendations.

“This will be an important contribution to the vast body of evidence before the commission and supplements the sworn evidence, written submissions and documents produced.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24813561 (110807ZJUL26) Notable: Isolated, scared, forlorn: The heartbreaking final months of Virginia Giuffre’s life - An investigation by The Age reconstructs the final months of Virginia Giuffre's life through interviews with family, friends, carers and lawyers, supported by court documents, police records, text messages, personal diaries and medical records. The investigation reports Giuffre alleged her estranged husband, Robbie Giuffre, subjected her to years of domestic violence, coercive control and increasing isolation. Robbie Giuffre denies the allegations, maintaining Virginia was the aggressor and attributing her difficulties to longstanding mental health issues and prescription medication. The investigation details competing family violence restraining orders, Virginia's separation from two of her children, her deteriorating physical health, repeated contact with police, and her efforts to rewrite her memoir following the breakdown of her marriage. It also examines allegations that police and the family violence system failed to adequately protect her during her final months. Backed by domestic violence experts, Virginia's family is seeking a coronial inquest to examine whether systemic failures, including the handling of domestic violence allegations and police responses, contributed to her death by suicide in April 2025. Legal proceedings over her estate are continuing.

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Isolated, scared, forlorn: The heartbreaking final months of Virginia Giuffre’s life

Virginia Giuffre made global headlines for her fight against her sexual abusers among the wealthy elite, all detailed in a bestselling memoir. Now new questions have emerged about the private anguish she faced at home.

Melissa Fyfe and Carla Hildebrandt - JULY 11, 2026

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It’s the morning of Tuesday, January 14, 2025 and Virginia Giuffre is hiding from her husband, Robbie Giuffre. Virginia, the most prominent of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, texts her sister-in-law in the United States. She’s safe in a Perth hotel, she says, “so it would be difficult for him to find me”.

Virginia had told her US-based family that Robbie had assaulted her on a family holiday. In the days afterwards, as she moved from hotel to hotel, she documented her injuries. Her photographs from that time show a smattering of bruises, like tiny storm clouds, crossing her chest. There’s an arched mark on her right eyebrow and bruises above and below her eyes (Robbie has denied Virginia’s allegations, saying she attacked him).

Virginia sent these pictures far and wide. She sent them to friends and family, her publicist and Amy Wallace, the ghostwriter of Virginia’s bestselling memoir, Nobody’s Girl. She’d been with Robbie – an Australian she met in Thailand in 2002 – for 22 years, but now she was done keeping the marriage’s secrets.

A few months later, on April 5, she issued a statement to People magazine saying that she was able to fight back against Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, but was unable to escape domestic violence: “After my husband’s latest physical assault, I can no longer stay silent.” A few weeks later, Virginia was dead, taking her own life on her farm north of Perth. She was 41.

That January morning in the hotel, texting her American family, Virginia nuts out a plan to keep safe. “We’re getting our ducks in order and we are figuring this out day by day.” The “we” refers to Virginia and her devoted full-time carer Cheryl Myers, then 71 (a degenerative spinal issue and broken neck had left Virginia often bedridden or in a wheelchair). “The police are coming to the hotel and they’re gonna go talk to Rob and hopefully he’s [taken] away [from] me please.” She also mentions her next step: “I go to court today to put a permanent [restraining order] on him.”

That text was sent at 7.31am. If she had gone to the court at 9am, perhaps the next few months would have unfolded differently. But a few hours later, Robbie Giuffre was walking up the steps of the Perth Magistrates Court, just several city blocks away. He submitted a seven-page form and had a 15-minute hearing with the magistrate. He feared Virginia, he said, and she’d been violent on a recent family holiday.

What the magistrate didn’t know was that, just hours earlier, he’d come off a 72-hour restraining order served on him by police. When he walked out of court that morning, Robbie had secured an interim family violence restraining order against Virginia, banning her for six months from contacting him and their two youngest children, a daughter, then 15, and a son, 17. “It was the worst thing that could have happened to her,” says her sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts. “Her children were her life.”

Virginia Roberts – who grew up in Loxahatchee, Florida, about 35 minutes from US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort – fell into Epstein’s world after an unimaginably awful childhood. Abused by her father from seven to 11, he also trafficked her to a friend (he denies both claims). Her mother then sent her to a notorious juvenile facility. She escaped and was picked up by sex trafficker Ron Eppinger, who was later jailed. This was all by the time she was 15. Ghislaine Maxwell spotted Virginia, then 16, working as a Mar-a-Lago spa attendant and recruited her as a sex slave for Epstein.

Virginia’s lawyers estimated that, between 2000 and 2002, Epstein also trafficked her to about 30 men. Virginia named some in her book: Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modelling agent, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew (which he denies). Fearful of naming others, she called them things like billionaire number one, two or three in her book. As a kid with her history of abuse, Virginia said, she just thought this was how the world worked. She also genuinely feared Epstein, who’d claimed to know where her adored brother Sky went to school.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24820637 (130618ZJUL26) Notable: ADF releases footage of missile interceptor test days after Chinese ICBM launch - (Video) The Australian Defence Force has released footage of a successful live-fire test of a prototype ground-based air and missile defence system conducted at the Woomera Range in South Australia. The June exercise used an Australian radar to guide a Standard Missile-2 interceptor, launched from a United States system, to destroy a cruise missile target. The test forms part of plans to spend between $7 billion and $10 billion over the next decade on integrated air and missile defence capabilities. The announcement follows China's recent test of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile in the Pacific, which prompted regional criticism. Defence Minister Richard Marles described the trial as an important step in strengthening Australia's sovereign defence capabilities against emerging missile threats.

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ADF releases footage of missile interceptor test days after Chinese ICBM launch

Tom Lowrey - 9 July 2026

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has test-fired a ground-based air defence system aimed at intercepting incoming missiles bound for Australia.

The live-fire test of the prototype took place in June at the Woomera testing range in South Australia.

The test involved a Standard Missile-2, which has a range of up to 166 kilometres and is used by the Royal Australian Navy, and an American launcher and control system.

An Australian radar system was used to guide the interceptor and take down an airborne cruise missile target.

The ADF is expecting to spend between $7 billion and $10 billion over the next 10 years on missile defence across the country, including a new medium-range ground-based air defence system.

The Australian and American test, conducted last month, is seen as a step towards rolling out the system in strategically significant areas around Australia.

The release of new details and imagery from the test comes days after China test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile in the South Pacific.

The Chinese missile test prompted widespread criticism from countries in the Pacific, as well as Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

It also prompted concern from the federal opposition about Australia's ability to intercept such a missile.

The federal government argues that the development of defence capabilities is critical to countering long-range and high-speed missiles targeting the country.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the test marked a step forward on that path.

"This first of type live-fire test is a practical demonstration of how the Australian Defence Force is working with its partners and local industry to deliver crucial defence capabilities, growing our sovereignty and helping to keep Australians safe," he said.

Air and missile defence a priority

Defence's 2026 Integrated Investment Plan, which charts where and how Defence will spend its money over the next decade to build its capability, indicates integrated air and missile defence as a priority.

The need for a medium-range, ground-based air and missile defence system is singled out and the document points to decisions likely to be made this year.

Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, the chief of the Air Force, said this testing was a key part of that development process.

"[This exercise] is an Air Force-led Integrated air and missile defence activity designed to explore medium-range air defence capability options to inform capability acquisition decisions," he said.

Earlier this week Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson criticised the pace at which air and missile defence was being pursued.

He pointed to the Chinese ballistic missile test as an example of an attack Australia could struggle to defend.

"I'm very concerned about the lack of Australia's integrated air and missile defence," he told Channel 7.

"We don't have sufficient capabilities to intercept missiles like this if they were launched towards Australia.

"We are not investing fast enough or moving quick enough to have those capabilities."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-09/adf-missile-interceptor-australian-defence-china-icbm-test/106898684

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24820703 (130823ZJUL26) Notable: ‘A different time’: Julia Gillard rows back on her changes to Sex Discrimination Act - (Video) Former prime minister Julia Gillard said changes her government made to the Sex Discrimination Act in 2013 reflected "a different time", arguing issues surrounding gender identity were not part of public debate when the legislation was introduced. Speaking after a lecture at the University of Manchester, Gillard declined to comment on the ongoing Tickle v Giggle appeal but said it was wrong to judge the reforms solely through today's public discourse. The 2013 amendments removed the Act's statutory definitions of "man" and "woman" while adding protected attributes including gender identity and intersex status. Her remarks come amid protests by women's rights activists in Britain, who argue the changes weakened protections based on biological sex. Critics, including Liberal senator Claire Chandler, have linked the amendments to subsequent court interpretations recognising gender identity under the Act.

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‘A different time’: Julia Gillard rows back on her changes to Sex Discrimination Act

JACQUELIN MAGNAY - July 02, 2026

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Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has rowed back on her government’s controversial changes to the Australian Sex Discrimination Act in 2013, telling an audience at Manchester University: “It was a different time.”

After delivering the Cockroft Rutherford lecture at the university on Wednesday evening, Ms Gillard was asked by an audience member about the issues of gender identity and the fact that, thanks to the changes to the act under her government, women in Australia are no longer defined by biological sex.

Ms Gillard at first claimed the issue wouldn’t be of interest to a British audience, before telling her questioner that the issues “were not raised by anyone (back in 2012, when the legislation came before parliament) because they simply weren’t a matter of public discourse the way they are today.”

“It was a different time,’’ she added. “So it is an error to uplift what we know now and the public discourse now and just putting it down to 14 years ago’’.

The comments were the first recent public utterances Ms Gillard has made about the impact of Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act which was changed in 2013 when she was prime minister. It comes as she has faced a series of protests held by pro-women activists in Britain over the past month highlighting her government’s legislative changes and the deleterious impact they have had on women’s rights.

For many years Ms Gillard has declined to answer “what is a woman?”, instead claiming it was a “gotcha question”. In 2023 this prompted criticism in the Senate by senator Claire Chandler who said Ms Gillard’s dodging of the question “was no game”.

Senator Chandler said the Gillard government’s removal of the definition of a woman from the Sex Discrimination Act had led directly “to some of the most perverse policy decisions Australia has ever witnessed”.

At the time of the changed legislation in 2013, an explanatory Australian government memorandum said the Act would repeal the Act’s statutory definitions of “man” and “woman”, while simultaneously adding new protected attributes of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status.

But by removing the explicit biological definitions of a man and a woman, the Act has since been interpreted by the courts as preferencing gender identity ahead of biological sex.

The issue is central to the Tickle versus Giggle court case where the Federal Court has ruled the Sex Discrimination Act does not confine the legal concept of sex to biological sex and found that Sall Grover’s company Giggle, which was designed for women, had discriminated against trans woman Roxanne Tickle on the basis of appearance.

On Wednesday Ms Gillard said she wouldn’t comment on the court case, which is currently the subject of an appeal.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24820710 (130836ZJUL26) Notable: ‘It was a different time’: Julia Gillard remark ignites push on gender law - Former prime minister Julia Gillard's comments that her government's 2013 Sex Discrimination Act reforms reflected "a different time" have intensified calls to restore biological sex definitions to federal discrimination law. Gillard said issues surrounding gender identity were not part of public debate when the legislation was introduced and declined to comment on the pending Tickle v Giggle appeal. The Coalition, One Nation, women's advocacy groups and Sall Grover argued her remarks underscored unintended consequences of the amendments and renewed pressure on the Albanese government to amend the Act after Labor and the Greens blocked proposed legislation this week. Opposition spokeswoman Michaelia Cash called for the law to be changed, while Labor defended the current framework as providing protection from discrimination regardless of sex or gender identity.

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‘It was a different time’: Julia Gillard remark ignites push on gender law

RACHEL BAXENDALE - July 02, 2026

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Labor faces widespread calls to put biological sex back into the nation’s discrimination laws, after former prime minister Julia Gillard claimed her 2013 gender reforms did not anticipate “a different time” where transgender activists would use them to challenge women’s rights.

Ms Gillard’s comments coincided with Labor and the Greens voting this week to block the introduction of Coalition and One Nation bills to reintroduce definitions of biological sex in the Sex Discrimination Act, preventing them from even being debated.

After delivering the Cockroft Rutherford Lecture at Manchester University on Wednesday evening, Ms Gillard was asked by an audience member about the issues of gender identity and the fact that, thanks to the changes to the Act under her government, women in Australia are no longer defined by biological sex.

The former PM at first claimed the issue wouldn’t be of interest to a British audience, before telling her questioner that the issues “were not raised by anyone (back in 2012, when the legislation came before parliament) because they simply weren’t a matter of public discourse the way they are today”.

“It was a different time,’’ she added. “So it is an error to uplift what we know now and the public discourse now and just putting it down to 14 years ago’’.

The comments were the first recent public utterances Ms Gillard has made about the impact of the 2013 changes, and come as she has faced a series of protests held by pro-women activists in Britain over the past month highlighting the deleterious impact of the reforms on women’s rights.

At the time of the changed legislation in 2013, an explanatory Australian government memorandum said the Act would repeal its statutory definitions of “man” and “woman”, while simultaneously adding new protected attributes of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. But by removing the explicit biological definitions of a man and a woman, the Act has since been interpreted by the courts as preferencing gender identity ahead of biological sex.

The issue is central to the Tickle v Giggle court case where the Federal Court has ruled the Sex Discrimination Act does not confine the legal concept of sex to biological sex, and found that Sall Grover’s company, Giggle, which was designed for women, had discriminated against trans woman Roxanne Tickle on the basis of appearance.

Ms Grover, who is appealing the verdict in the High Court, told The Australian on Thursday that Ms Gillard’s comments should prompt action from the government to reform the Act.

“The onus is now on Albanese to do something, and he will regret it if he doesn’t,” Ms Grover said.

“History will judge him. People want this. This is a very easy political win.

“Gender ideology has taken down politicians all over the world. We’re no different here. I think he should show that he is capable of actually listening to Australian citizens and doing something that we want.

“Everybody knows that men aren’t women, including the people that have been involved in doing the harm.”

Ms Grover said there was one defence available to Ms Gillard, which was that parliament “never intended” for the 2013 changes to the Act to infringe upon the rights of women to female-only spaces and services.

“How it was supposed to work was that all existing protections remained, and then you added gender identity in,” Ms Grover said.

“If that was what you were being discriminated on the basis of, you were now protected.

“There’s no evidence parliament intended for there to be an impact on women’s rights, and Gillard should just say it.

“People make mistakes. I would have so much respect for her if she just said, ‘it’s a mistake, let me help you fix it’.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24820767 (130926ZJUL26) Notable: Police investigating Andrew plan to talk to Virginia Giuffre’s family in US - Thames Valley Police are preparing to travel to the United States to speak with the family of Virginia Giuffre as part of their investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Detectives intend to meet Giuffre's relatives to discuss her allegations of sexual assault and are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry linked to Andrew's former role as a UK trade envoy. Police are also examining allegations that another woman was trafficked to Britain by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew in 2010. Andrew has denied wrongdoing, including Giuffre's allegations, despite reaching a civil settlement with her in 2022. Investigators are also seeking records from the Metropolitan Police and may interview Andrew's former protection officers.

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Police investigating Andrew plan to talk to Virginia Giuffre’s family in US

Thames Valley police want to speak to relatives about her allegations of sexual assault against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Josie Ensor and Fiona Hamilton - July 10 2026

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Detectives investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor are preparing to travel to the United States to speak with the family of his accuser Virginia Giuffre, The Times has learnt.

Thames Valley police want to talk to relatives of Giuffre, who died in April last year, about her allegations of sexual assault against Andrew.

Andrew’s former role as a trade envoy is at the centre of Thames Valley’s investigation into alleged misconduct in public office after revelations in the mass dump of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the paedophile financier.

However, detectives have issued a wider appeal for information and are also assessing allegations that another woman was sent to the UK in 2010 by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew at Royal Lodge. Andrew has always denied wrongdoing.

After he was arrested on his 66th birthday Giuffre’s family issued a statement thanking Thames Valley and saying that “our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty”.

It is understood detectives are planning to visit Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law, Sky and Amanda Roberts, in the coming weeks. It will not be a formal interview as they are not considered direct witnesses to the allegations. However, the family are in contact with detectives and revealed they would be visiting the US soon. Thames Valley have already sought files in the case from the Met, and are likely to speak with Andrew’s former protection officers.

In 2022, Andrew paid a £12 million settlement to Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17. Andrew denied wrongdoing and said he did not remember meeting Giuffre.

She killed herself in April last year aged 41. Her family were disappointed by the Met’s failure to carry out a full inquiry into her allegations, but believe that Thames Valley have been “very proactive”.

It is unclear whether Thames Valley has received the required permission from US authorities to travel and conduct interviews.

Sky and Amanda Roberts will seek a meeting with the new prime minister during a trip to the UK later this year.

Millions of documents were released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) that suggested Andrew forwarded confidential government itineraries and commercial reports to Epstein.

While those documents will be crucial for any prosecution, The Times understands that the DoJ has still not released material from the Epstein files to British police.

That is despite a trip to Washington in March by Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, who pressed for the release of unredacted exchanges. The Met is investigating Lord Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, for alleged misconduct in public office. Mandelson denies wrongdoing.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24820794 (130952ZJUL26) Notable: Derryn Hinch, the 'human headline', former senator and broadcaster, dies aged 82 - Broadcaster, journalist and former senator Derryn Hinch has died aged 82 after a media career spanning more than six decades. Born in New Zealand, Hinch became one of Australia's best-known media personalities, earning the nickname "the human headline" for his outspoken style, campaigning journalism and distinctive on-air presence. He worked across newspapers, radio and television, covering major events including the Apollo 11 launch before hosting influential current affairs and talkback programs. Hinch was repeatedly jailed for breaching suppression and contempt laws while exposing convicted sex offenders, arguing the public's right to know outweighed legal restrictions. Elected to the Senate in 2016, he championed tougher laws targeting child sex offenders, including restrictions on overseas travel by convicted paedophiles. He also founded the Derryn Hinch Justice Party, which won three seats at the 2018 Victorian election before being dissolved after failing to retain parliamentary representation. Hinch was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2018 in recognition of his influential and often controversial contribution to Australian journalism and public life.

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Derryn Hinch, the 'human headline', former senator and broadcaster, dies aged 82

Melissa Brown - 10 July 2026

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Derryn Hinch, the outspoken - and at times controversial - broadcaster and former senator, has died aged 82.

The barnstorming journalist was known for his distinctive broadcast style, honed over decades in the media, as well as his law-breaking crusades to expose sex offenders that earned him several stints in jail.

His death was confirmed on-air on his former radio station, 3AW.

The ABC confirmed the former senator had died in his sleep this morning.

Former colleague Peter Ford told 3AW Hinch was an important figure in the history of the radio station.

"It is one of those moments when you think that was an extraordinary life and career," he said.

"It's an amazing story of somebody who, as a young guy in rural New Zealand, had dreams of getting into journalism and slowly but surely, boy, did he do that.

"Apart from having a really good journalist's mind for a story, he knew how to write a story, how to present a story … he knew a good yarn when he heard it.

"Now that wasn't to say, of course, that he wasn't provocative; he stirred the pot a lot, he upset people a lot, and he saw that almost as being validation of doing his job well."

Denis O'Kane had a long working relationship with Hinch since the late 1970s , and remained close friends with him over the decades.

He told 3AW that he saw Hinch recently.

"Derryn hadn't changed, a lot of fun, serious guy to a lot of people but also when you're out with him, he was so much fun," he said.

"A great man … and we love him very much."

Loud and opinionated from the start

In early 2025, Hinch was sitting in a cafe in Melbourne when he was approached by a woman.

She wanted to read his 2010 autobiography about his then 50 years in the media, Human Headlines, but her local library had a waiting list to borrow it.

The conversation made Hinch realise how many more chapters needed to be added to his life story.

"I've had a little bit transpire - been to jail, been a senator, so a few things have happened," Hinch told the ABC at the time.

Born in New Zealand, Hinch began his long career at The Taranaki Herald in 1960, at the age of 15.

Just a few years later, he moved to Australia, taking on the police round at The Sun newspaper in Sydney.

Over the next six decades, he landed roles in nearly every arm of the media … and often told people he was sacked from "16 or 17" of them.

His time working for Fairfax in New York in the late 1960s and 70s was noted in a speech delivered by his contemporary, Ray Martin, at Hinch's 2018 induction into the Australian Media Hall of Fame.

Martin revealed that Hinch's trademark style of being loud and highly opinionated was established early in his career.

"He flaunted more company credit cards and pulled off more front-page scoops than any other compatriot," Martin told the ceremony.

Martin recalled being taken to task by his own ABC editors for not having as many contacts inside the UN as Hinch, or the same headline-grabbing quotes from within its corridors.

"Whenever I challenged the veracity of some of those diplomatic sources - as I occasionally did - Hinch's retort would be to ask somewhat rhetorically, 'Listen, did your story lead the bulletin? Did it make the front page of the First Edition? No? Well, end of section, Sunshine.'"

From fame to infamy

While in the US, Hinch provided live commentary of the Apollo 11 launch for Sydney radio station 2GB in 1969.

A snippet of the broadcast was replayed during an interview with ABC Radio Melbourne breakfast hosts Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy.

"That still gives me goosebumps when I hear that," he told the pair.

"I was a real radio rookie. I was a print journo. It wasn't a bad way to start my radio career, though."

Over the decades, Hinch drifted in and out of talkback radio in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide - including ratings-winning slots on 3AW.

He appeared as a panellist on the TV talk show Beauty and the Beast, hosted The Midday Show on the Nine Network and, in more recent years, was a commentator for various news programs on Seven and Sky News.

But it was his eponymous current affairs shows on Seven and Ten that made Hinch one of the most recognisable faces on television in the late 1980s and 90s.

He was equally known for his unabashed opinions and his catchphrases - "That's life" and "Shame, shame, shame" - which were most famously parodied by Steve Vizard on the comedy show Fast Forward.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24820802 (130957ZJUL26) Notable: OPINION: He wasn't perfect, but Derryn Hinch confronted sexual abuse when others turned a blind eye

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He wasn't perfect, but Derryn Hinch confronted sexual abuse when others turned a blind eye

Russell Jackson - 11 July 2026

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It was a classic Derryn Hinchism: "Who's looking after the children?"

Verbose? Certainly. Self-aggrandising? Perhaps a little. But when Hinch first started asking it in the 1980s, too few others who possessed the megaphone of mass media seemed to give a single damn.

With Hinch's death on Friday, a large and remarkable chunk of Australia's tabloid media history died with the "Human Headline". Obituarists will grapple with a confusing legacy but permit me the personal perspective of a present-day journalist who recently had a meaningful opportunity to reappraise Hinch's efforts for sexual abuse survivors.

A few years ago, when ABC Investigations started unravelling the horror story of the Victorian Education Department's multi-decade cover-up of rampant child sexual abuse, we were stunned to realise that a scandal so widespread and devastating could have passed with so little media attention.

Thanks to a series of government inquiries, we now understand it as a crisis to rank with the worst excesses of the Catholic Church: for decades, sexually abusive teachers were shuffled all over the state rather than being sacked and reported to police; for decades, the government effectively covered it up; for decades, the reputation of the school system was put ahead of child safety, and the societal consequences were disastrous.

But before all that, a most glaring question had presented itself: if so many people had known this human tragedy was unfolding in plain sight, why had nobody in the media shouted it from the rooftops?

Actually, we were amazed to discover, one man had: Derryn Hinch.

A scenario that seemed too crazy to be true

During our investigations, a former detective in one of Victoria Police's nascent child protection units told us that due to the 12-month statute of limitations to press charges against offenders in the 1980s, not to mention the inaction of the education department, he and colleagues often felt powerless in their attempts to take down sexually abusive government school teachers. In such situations, he said, their last resort was Hinch.

Which is how readers of The Sun newspaper were greeted one Saturday morning in June, 1990, by a blistering Hinch editorial that began: "I want to accuse some of the top echelon of the Victorian Education Department of negligence."

Decades before the inquiries, long before anyone else cared, Hinch explained a scenario that seemed too crazy to be true: in the full knowledge of the Victorian government, the principal of a primary school in Melbourne's western suburbs had been allowed to sexually abuse children for an entire decade. This was despite a written warning from Victoria Police that he was a danger to children.

The rampant, decades-long sexual offending of Braybrook Primary principal Richard "Dick" Ross is now a notorious case in Melbourne legal circles. His crimes have cost the Victorian government many millions of dollars in compensation payouts to survivors.

But even 36 years on, the specifics of the case as outlined in Hinch's article still have the power to stun.

"[Ross] pleaded guilty in court this week to charges of sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16 and indecent assault," Hinch wrote.

"Apparently a lot of people knew he was a perv - including the Education Department. But year after year, nothing was done about it.

"His offences against children - the ones he pleaded guilty to - happened since 1980. An important date because the Education Department - the supposed protector of your children during school hours - knew about his habits in February 1981.

"They knew because a senior police officer wrote to the department and explained in explicit detail what the headmaster of the school had been up to in 1980."

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24824623 (141003ZJUL26) Notable: Childcare centres where alleged abuser Hamish Tait worked ban men from toileting duties - (Video) Four Fit Kidz Learning Centres where alleged offender Hamish Tait worked have barred male educators from toileting and bathroom duties unless parents provide written consent, following allegations involving the former childcare worker. The company said the precautionary measure was introduced despite there being no allegations against other male staff, and apologised to families while rejecting claims it had attempted to conceal Tait's alleged offending. Tait faces 329 charges relating to the alleged abuse of 158 children, with 136 identified and 22 still to be identified. The Australian Federal Police said Operation Moonbi, the investigation into the alleged offending and victim identification, remains ongoing and urged families to review information released to help identify the remaining children.

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Childcare centres where alleged abuser Hamish Tait worked ban men from toileting duties

CLAREESE PACKER - July 13, 2026

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Four of the childcare centres where one of Australia’s worst alleged child abusers is accused of carrying out his alleged crimes have barred male educators from toileting and bathroom duties.

Hamish Tait can now be unmasked as the childcare worker facing 329 charges relating to the alleged sexual abuse of more than 136 children after a Sydney court overturned a suppression order on Monday.

Mr Tait, aged 35, is accused of carrying out the alleged abuse between 2009 to 2025 across multiple childcare centres in Sydney’s northwest.

A full list of the early childhood learning centres Mr Tait worked at or visited over the 16-year period has been released by the Australian Federal Police. It indicates he allegedly abused children at four Fit Kidz Learning Centres at Box Hill, Putney, Rouse Hill and Warrawee.

Fit Kidz has since banned male educators from toileting and bathroom duties across all of its centres unless they have received written consent from parents, according to a statement on the company’s website last week.

The move is a precautionary one and there is no allegation that those male educators engaged in wrongdoing.

“Philosophically this doesn’t always sit well, but for now, and the foreseeable future, we have our males on stand down from bathroom and toileting since last year,” the statement read.

Phones that were kept in the centres to take photos have also been taken out, with the company issuing an apology and rejecting accusations swirling on social media that it had tried to “cover up” Mr Tait’s alleged offending.

“The devastation caused by this situation is difficult to put into words, and our thoughts remain firmly with the children, families, educators and wider community who have been impacted,” the apology read.

“Regardless, a number of these alleged offences have occurred on our watch, and we are profoundly sorry.

“Nothing is more important to us or more sacred to our contract with our parents than to keep children safe in our care. It is utterly sickening and absolutely devastating to us and our entire team.”

The company rejected allegations aired on social media that it had tried to help “cover up” Mr Tati’s alleged abuse, explaining it had no involvement in orders made by a court that prevented Mr Tait’s identity from being revealed.

The statement said the company had “never had any interest in protecting a person whose (alleged) actions have caused such profound harm to so many”, asking people to let facts guide any criticism of the centres.

“There has been no cover up! And contrary to a persistent theme online – nobody is protecting the alleged offender,” the statement read.

It’s understood a series of social media posts were made about Mr Tait and his work history over the last year despite a court order prohibiting the publication of his identity.

Grim search for 22 alleged childcare victims.

The AFP has identified 136 alleged victims from 121 families across Sydney, but there are a further 22 potential victims investigators are trying to identify.

All the alleged victims were either preschool or primary school aged, with AFP Acting Commander Luke Needham calling the alleged abuse “devastating”.

“All I can say is we never gave up, and we never will.”

Mr Tait now faces a total of 329 charges after he was hit with more than 100 fresh charges last week, making him one of the country’s worst alleged child abusers.

He had fought to keep his identity suppressed, but a judge on Monday ruled in favour of the AFP, prosecutors, and the media who had all opposed his bid for secrecy.

Mr Tait came to the attention of the AFP in June 2025 after they were alerted by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children that child abuse had allegedly been uploaded online.

More than two million files were seized from the man’s devices during a search warrant, with a large volume of CAM allegedly found.

The AFP further allege Mr Tait shared child abuse material overseas on three occasions, but Mr Needham said there was no evidence to suggest he had uploaded anything to the dark web.

Most of the alleged offending occurred in NSW, however Mr Needham said there was some “limited offending” in another state.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24828231 (151135ZJUL26) Notable: Joe Courtney: Donald Trump too soft on China’s Pacific missile launch - Senior US Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, a leading congressional supporter of AUKUS, has criticised the Trump administration for what he described as an insufficient response to China's recent launch of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile into the South Pacific. Courtney said President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio should have issued a stronger condemnation, arguing the launch was dangerous, destabilising and particularly concerning given the Pacific's history of nuclear testing. He said the test underscored the importance of AUKUS in strengthening deterrence against China's growing military power. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also described the missile launch as provocative, noting China failed to provide the customary 48 hours' advance notice for such tests.

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Joe Courtney: Donald Trump too soft on China’s Pacific missile launch

JOE KELLY - 15 July 2026

Joe Courtney, the key champion for AUKUS in the US congress, says that Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio should have more forcefully condemned China for launching a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile in the South Pacific.

Mr Courtney, the Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan Friends of Australia Caucus, made clear the value of the landmark AUKUS agreement was in providing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific against a more aggressive China.

He said there was “no question that five years ago there was a recognition that the capacity of the Chinese Navy … really screamed out for countries and allies like the US, Australia (and) the UK to really come together and bring all their strengths to really balance the security environment and fundamentally restore real deterrence.”

Leaving the Australian American Leadership Dialogue in Pentagon City in Northern Virginia on Tuesday, Mr Courtney said China’s missile launch deserved the “strongest condemnation in terms of how disruptive and dangerous” it was.

The representative for Connecticut’s second congressional district expressed disappointment the reaction was limited to a brief State Department statement from spokesman Thomas Pigott warning that China’s “opaque nuclear weapons build-up” was “of great concern to the region and the world.”

Mr Courtney criticised Beijing for conducting the launch “with no warning” along with the “fecklessness of this administration in terms of just the hot and cold communication that comes out.”

“I think if you look at the National Defence Strategy that they put out there where China’s placement was right at the top, it just confounds me that they (the Trump administration) are that passive,” he said.

The launch of the missile by China on Monday July 6 came after Australia signed a far-reaching military alliance with Fiji that could be joined by other island nations.

The landmark Veitacini Treaty – also known as the Ocean of Peace Alliance – commits both nations to come to “act to meet the common danger” if either is attacked.

It marks Fiji’s first defence alliance and Australia’s fourth alongside its pacts with the US, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

The treaty also has a provision allowing other Pacific nations to sign up to the agreement of the original signatories. So far, New Zealand and Tonga have been flagged as possible additions.

A spokesman for the State Department told The Australian that Washington “welcomes recent Australian agreements with Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and other Pacific Island countries to expand development co-operation and strengthen security ties.”

“As a nation with deep ties to the Pacific, we continue to engage closely with Pacific Island countries, Australia, and other allies and partners to ensure the region’s security, stability, and prosperity.”

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Courtney said he would have “absolutely” liked to have seen a stronger response from Mr Trump and Mr Rubio to the launch of the Chinese missile.

He would have liked the administration to more clearly identify the missile launch was taking place “in a part of the world that has a really pretty dark history in terms of nuclear testing.”

Mr Courtney also said that it really called into question China’s sincerity when it came to its rhetoric about maintaining peaceful coexistence with its neighbours.”

Chinese media outlet The Global Times defended the test as “both necessary and restrained”, warning countries in the region to “accept and get used to” China’s nuclear program.

Anthony Albanese said the firing of the missile was a “provocative act by China which does destabilise the region.”

“In particular, we point out that it is standard procedure for tests such as this … to be given 48 hours notice. This was not done on this occasion.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/courtney-trump-too-soft-on-chinas-pacific-missile-launch/news-story/400edb3edb58c68a6e5f573fa484b10d

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24831680 (161146ZJUL26) Notable: New Australia-Indonesia security pact prepares nations for blockade threat - Australia's new Treaty on Common Security with Indonesia is intended to strengthen co-operation against emerging regional security threats, including the risk of maritime blockades disrupting trade, Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite says. Speaking in Jakarta, Thistlethwaite said recent disruption in the Strait of Hormuz highlighted how a blockade in waters such as the Natuna Sea could have serious economic consequences for both countries. He said the treaty would deepen security co-operation through regular strategic consultations and closer military engagement while reinforcing support for freedom of navigation. Thistlethwaite also cited China's recent submarine-launched ballistic missile test in the Pacific as evidence of growing regional instability, but said Australia was not seeking to pressure Indonesia into adopting Canberra's strategic assessment of China.

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New Australia-Indonesia security pact prepares nations for blockade threat

DIAN SEPTIARI - 16 July 2026

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Indonesia and Australia’s new Treaty on Common Security could prove critical in helping the two nations prepare for future regional security threats - including potentially crippling shipping blockades, assistant foreign minister Matt Thistlethwaite said during a three-day visit to Jakarta.

Speaking at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) this week, Mr Thistlethwaite said the recent disruption to global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had shown how quickly maritime chokepoints could affect global trade, a scenario once deemed improbable in our own region but now increasingly plausible.

“Imagine a blockade to the north in the Natuna Sea,” he said, referring to the Indonesian waters that sit at the southern edge of the South China Sea, where Beijing’s sweeping “nine-dash line” overlaps with the exclusive economic zones claimed by several Southeast Asian countries.

“A year or so ago, most people would have said, ‘Well, that’s never going to happen. That’s unrealistic’. Given what’s happening in the Strait of Hormuz at the moment, not so remote anymore.”

Indonesia is not a claimant to the disputed Spratly Islands, but China’s claims overlap with waters around the Natunas, leading to repeated confrontations between Chinese vessels and Indonesian maritime authorities.

Mr Thistlethwaite said any disruption to shipping around the Natuna Sea would have severe economic consequences for both Indonesia and Australia.

“There is a realisation now in both of our nations that we share a common interest as middle powers working together on the stability and peace of our region,” he said.

“Ahead of us is a more unstable geostrategic balance as great powers increasingly engage in a contest of power and influence. The largest and most rapid military build-up since World War II is happening right here in our region.”

The implications of that were made “clear and real last week when a submarine-launched ballistic missile test splashed down in the Pacific”, he added, referring to China’s firing from a nuclear-powered submarine of a long-range warhead near Tuvalu.

Mr Thistlethwaite’s remarks offer one of the clearest explanations yet from an Australian official of the strategic thinking behind the Australia-Indonesia Treaty on Common Security, or Jakarta Treaty.

The assistant foreign minister said the treaty not only committed the leaders of both nations to meet and talk regularly about shared security threats, but would also facilitate deeper and broader security co-operation, including through earlier military exchanges to build strong and lasting relationships among younger officers from both militaries.

Asked whether Canberra was encouraging Jakarta to adopt a similar strategic assessment of China, Mr Thistlethwaite averred, instead emphasising Australia’s reliance on Southeast Asia for trade and energy supplies.

“We’ve relied in recent times on the goodwill and the good economic partnerships that we’ve had with Southeast Asian nations,” he said.

Open and free shipping lanes and freedom of navigation were “vitally important to both of our countries”, and principles both governments were committed to upholding through the Jakarta Treaty, he added.

The landmark security pact was signed during Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s two day February visit to Jakarta, marking a new high point in the bilateral relationship that has weathered ups and downs in recent decades.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24831694 (161152ZJUL26) Notable: China insists it has ‘no geopolitical intent’ after missile sparks Pacific fury - China has sought to reassure Pacific nations following widespread criticism of its recent submarine-launched ballistic missile test, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi insisting Beijing has "no geopolitical intent" in the region and does not seek a sphere of influence. The comments came during talks with Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela, after Prime Minister Mathew Wale condemned the launch as provocative and warned China not to threaten Pacific nations. Analysts said Beijing was attempting to repair relations after the missile test, which occurred shortly after Australia and Fiji signed a defence pact and drew protests over the lack of customary advance notice. They argued the episode risked undermining China's influence as Australia strengthens regional security partnerships.

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China insists it has ‘no geopolitical intent’ after missile sparks Pacific fury

AMANDA HODGE - 16 July 2026

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China has moved to mend fences with Pacific island nations a week after sparking regional fury by firing a dummy warhead from a submarine into regional nuclear-free waters, insisting it has “no geo­political intent” in the Pacific and does not seek to make it a “sphere of influence”.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks during a meeting late on Tuesday with his Solomon Islands counterpart Rick Houenipwela, dispatched to ­Beijing in the wake of Prime Minister Mathew Wale’s “strong protest” on behalf of Pacific Island nations.

Mr Wale has made little secret of his anger at China’s missile test, fired within hours of Australia and Fiji signing a landmark defence agreement, calling the launch “a provocative act” and warning Beijing: “Be our friend, but don’t threaten us.”

Regional analysts say his remarks are likely the tip of an iceberg of Pacific concern over China’s actions, given a growing well of distrust of Beijing that has led to high-level regional bilateral agreements with Australia from the Puk Puk treaty with PNG, Nakamal agreement with Vanuatu, Vuvale Union and Oceans of Peace Alliance with Fiji, and pacts with Tuvalu and Nauru.

Beijing clearly knows it has ground to make up in its “permanent competition” with Australia for diplomatic supremacy across the region.

It also knows it is in danger of losing influence in the Solomons – previously its most reliable ­Pacific partner – after China-sceptic Mr Wale took office in May and announced an intention to strengthen ties with Australia.

China’s pitch as a “no political strings attached” alternative underwriter of Pacific Islands’ security and prosperity was already looking dubious before it gave less than two hours’ notice of its intention to fire a missile into ­waters covered by the Treaty of Rarotonga – an action Beijing called a “routine part of China’s annual military program” but which sparked protests from Australia, the US, Japan, New Zealand and nine Pacific island nations.

Yet at Tuesday’s meeting, its top envoy appeared stuck in a loop of the same old talking points; the Pacific Island nations are no one’s “backyard”, China does not seek “spheres of influence”, Beijing has “no geopolitical intent” in the region.

“China’s co-operation with Solomon Islands is free of political conditions, does not impose its will on others, and does not issue ‘empty promises’,” said Mr Wang in a Chinese readout of Tuesday’s meeting with Mr Houenipwela.

No explanations were offered for why China ignored standard protocols for ballistic missile testing – including at least 48 hours’ notice – or why it chose to launch inside a designated nuclear-weapons-free zone within hours of Australia and Fiji signing a defence alliance.

Nor were there any substantive sweeteners offered to its most reliable Pacific Island nation partner to match Australia’s recent rails-run of diplomatic achievements.

“In many ways China is its own worst enemy in terms of its ham-fisted diplomacy,” says Mike Hughes, director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Defence Strategy program. “China has for half a decade at least chastised Australia to our Pacific Island partners over AUKUS supposedly violating the Treaty of Rarotonga – which is nonsense – but the great irony is they’re now testing an ICBM whose sole purpose is to draw nuclear weapons into the South Pacific,” he added.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24831702 (161158ZJUL26) Notable: China’s ambassador Xiao Qian to depart Canberra after memorable diplomatic stint - China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, is set to leave Canberra after four-and-a-half years during which bilateral relations shifted from deep diplomatic tensions to a gradual stabilisation. Arriving in early 2022 amid strained ties under the Morrison government, Xiao served through the restoration of high-level ministerial engagement following Anthony Albanese's election, the removal of Chinese trade restrictions on Australian exports and the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei. Despite the improvement in relations, major strategic disagreements remained over issues including Taiwan, foreign interference and Chinese-linked ownership of the Port of Darwin. Xiao also publicly criticised ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess over comments regarding alleged Chinese interference in Australia.

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China’s ambassador Xiao Qian to depart Canberra after memorable diplomatic stint

WILL GLASGOW - July 15, 2026

After a memorable four-and-a-half-year stint, Xi Jinping’s man in Canberra is packing his bags. You read it here first.

Ambassador Xiao Qian arrived in Canberra in January 2022, with five months left of Scott Morrison’s prime ministership.

It was a time when Australians had huge anxiety about China’s military build-up and its increasingly bullying behaviour in the region – all made worse by Australia’s economic co-dependency with its biggest security threat.

None of those fundamentals have changed: Beijing still causes Australia’s defence planners and security officials more grief than the rest of the world combined, while China remains by far the biggest customer of Australian exports.

But the surface of the relationship is much smoother now than when Ambassador Xiao moved into China’s huge embassy compound in Canberra.

After Anthony Albanese’s election in May 2022, a switch was flicked in Beijing. Within months, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong – the first ministerial engagement between the two countries since Xi ordered Australia be put in the back corner of China’s diplomatic freezer in 2020.

Two and a half years later, by Christmas 2024, live Australian lobsters were again allowed to clear China’s customs department. The return of that trade marked the end of China’s trade coercion campaign, which at its peak spanned Australian goods worth $20bn a year.

In-between, Cheng Lei was released from her Beijing prison cell and, in August 2024, I was credentialed to be based in China, ending a four-year unofficial black-listing of Australian journalists.

Xiao was there through it all: sometimes smiling and purring about Gough Whitlam, sometimes threatening violence if Australia didn’t watch itself around Taiwan, sometimes fulminating about what would follow if the PM delivered his election commitment to end Chinese company Landbridge’s ownership of the Port of Darwin, and most recently telling off ASIO head Mike Burgess for suggesting China was behind “so-called interference in Australia”.

These and many more happy memories will be discussed at his Canberra farewell party, a knees-up with Chinese characteristics now less than a fortnight away.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/margin-call/chinas-ambassador-xiao-qian-to-depart-canberra-after-memorable-diplomatic-stint/news-story/b468724d5044ce146a9cf398aeb36cc7

https://qresear.ch/?q=Xiao+Qian