Jewish Board president condemns pro-Palestinian rally conduct at antisemitism commission

The head of a peak Jewish body has criticised the "appalling" conduct of protesters at a pro-Palestinian rally organised in the wake of Hamas's attack on Israel, prompting a tense exchange with lawyers for Palestinian advocacy groups at the antisemitism royal commission.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) and the Palestine Action Group were given leave to appear to question witnesses at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on Tuesday.

The inquiry is examining how police respond to protests, using as examples the pro-Palestinian protest between Town Hall and the Sydney Opera House on October 9, 2023 and a neo-Nazi rally outside the NSW Parliament on November 8, 2025.

Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said he first learned about the October 9 rally on the evening of October 7, shortly after Israelis were killed and taken hostage in an attack by terrorist group Hamas in southern Israel.

Mr Ossip said he believed the rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group, would initially be confined to Town Hall, and later learned protesters would march to the Opera House.

The monument was to be lit blue and white in solidarity with Australian Jews and Israelis, with members of the community intending to hold a vigil on the evening of October 9, 2023.

Police contacted over safety fears

The commission heard the Community Security Group NSW (CSG NSW) had communicated with NSW Police about security concerns associated with the protest.

Mr Ossip said on the advice of police, the Jewish Board of Deputies subsequently told the Jewish community to avoid Town Hall and the Sydney Opera House on the night of the protest, and exercise vigilance if they were in the broader Sydney CBD area.

"The fact that two days after October 7 a community which was highly traumatised and in mourning was told the CBD was not safe for them, had profound psychological impacts," he said.

"I can't recall any group … ever being provided advice that they should avoid their own city's CBD for their own safety and wellbeing."

"It was effectively the police saying, 'We can't keep your community safe'. In my view it was effectively the police transferring control of the CBD to the protesters."

The commission heard a number of protesters were heard chanting "where's the Jews?" and "f*** the Jews", with an Israeli flag set on fire during the October 9 rally.

Additionally, the commission heard a subsequent inquiry into the rally, including a forensic analysis of 200 hours of CCTV footage, could not find evidence of claims some had chanted "gas the Jews".

'I thought their conduct was appalling'

Under cross-examination by counsel representing the Palestine Action Group Dominic Toomey SC, Mr Ossip said he struggled to understand the motivations of the protest organisers.

"Your clients effectively called for a protest at Town Hall on the evening of October 7 whilst the attacks in Israel were still occurring," he told Mr Toomey.

"I still don't understand why they thought calling a protest in such circumstances was necessary. I thought their conduct was appalling."

"It was a scene of international disgrace and infamy. It is amongst the clearest examples of antisemitism we have seen over the past few years."

There was some back and forth about the timeline of the Hamas attacks and the Israeli military's subsequent response.

"You are aware aren't you that Israeli Defence Force fighter jets began conducting air strikes in the Gaza strip around 5:30pm Sydney time on October 7?" Mr Toomey put to Mr Ossip.

Mr Ossip appeared to become frustrated with some of the cross-examination.

"This is a royal commission on antisemitism … I'm a bit confused about why we are getting caught up in the minutia of the timeline of a foreign military," he said.

Commissioner Virginia Bell interjected.

"If the line of questioning falls outside matters that are properly before me, I will rule the question inadmissible. I have not made that ruling," she told Mr Ossip.

Senior officer addresses inquiry

The commission also heard from NSW Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna, who discussed the police response to the October 9 protest.

The inquiry heard two people wearing Israeli flags were arrested for breach of the peace and issued move on notices, and a flare was launched over the heads of police during the rally.

Deputy Commissioner McKenna said at no point did officers on the ground feel the protest was at risk of getting out of control.

"There is no doubt that watching this on television, watching this on the news, it looked terrible … because of that backdrop of the Sydney Opera House, there were lots of people there, the flare," he said.

"But when I speak to police officers on the ground, they did not have concerns about this protest getting out of control."

"We are talking hours of a protest that has been reduced to seconds or minutes on a news grab that has probably conflated it to make it more significant than what we say it was, as far as public safety goes."

"I'm not talking about the intention behind it or how it might make the Jewish community feel."

Deputy Commissioner McKenna said the October 9 protest continued to have an impact, almost three years on.

"I've been to the Supreme Court to stop protests from going to the Opera House since this particular one occurred," he said.