A growing body of research from CyberWellsuggests that antisemitic violence is increasingly followed by a second wave of harm online—one that erases Jewish victimhood, justifies attacks, and, in some cases, calls for more bloodshed.
CyberWell’s earlier reporting on denial and distortion of the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacredocumented how social media platforms struggled to contain narratives denying sexual violence, blaming Jews for their own deaths, or portraying the attack as an Israeli “false flag.” But a newer CyberWell analysis shows this pattern is not limited to war zones or terror attacks in the Middle East.
Bondi Beach: A Familiar Pattern Reappears
Nearly one month after the deadly attack at Bondi Beach, CyberWell examined online reactions and found what it calls a “familiar global pattern” of antisemitism emerging almost immediately after the violence.
According to CyberWell, social media content following the attack included:
- Glorification of violence
- Praise for the attacker
- Calls for further attacks against Jews
- Victim-blaming claims that Jews orchestrated the incident
- Conspiracy theories framing the attack as a Jewish or Israeli “false flag” operation
As part of its initial review, CyberWell analyzed 164 pieces of contentrelated to the Bondi Beach attack. That sample alone generated more than 8.1 million viewsand over 255,000 interactions, including likes, shares, and comments. The organization emphasized that this represents only a partial snapshotof a much larger online conversation.
Not an Isolated Case
CyberWell says the Bondi Beach discourse mirrors patterns it has documented after other antisemitic incidents since October 7, including synagogue arsons in Australia, organized violence against Jewish communities in Europe, and terrorist attacks and physical assaults in the United States.
In each case, CyberWell observed online spaces rapidly transform into arenas where violence was justified, normalized, or redirected toward victims through conspiracy narratives—often asserting that Jews had orchestrated attacks against themselves.
Dehumanization as a Warning Sign
“We are deeply concerned by the nature and volume of this content,” said Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, Founder and CEO of CyberWell.
“This discourse attempts to quickly erase any acknowledgement of Jews as victims of violence. This type of online antisemitism… has one dehumanizing message: that Jews are not worthy of empathy, protection, or sympathy. This purposeful dehumanization and open calls to additional violence… lays the groundwork for the next attack.”
CyberWell reported that many posts explicitly celebrated the deaths of Jewish victims, praised the attacker, and framed the violence as justified solely because of the victims’ Jewish identity.
One Arabic-language post cited by the organization compared the Bondi Beach attack to the Munich Olympics massacre, praising those who murder Jews “generation after generation.”
Why This Matters to Travel and Tourism
For the global travel and tourism industry, these findings raise serious concerns. Destinations depend on perceptions of safety, inclusion, and trust. When antisemitic narratives flourish online after attacks—especially in major tourism hubs—they can undermine traveler confidence, increase risks for Jewish travelers and hospitality workers, and create brand-safety crises when ads or official accounts appear alongside hateful content.
Tourism is often among the first sectors to feel the economic impact when fear, disinformation, and hate spread unchecked.
A Consistent Warning
Taken together, CyberWell’s October 7 research and its Bondi Beach analysis point to a consistent warning: online antisemitism does not merely reflect violence—it can accelerate and normalize it.
As CyberWell continues to share data with platforms where it serves as a trusted partner, the organization argues that faster, more consistent enforcement is critical—not only to protect Jewish communities, but to prevent the digital conditions that allow real-world violence to repeat.
About CyberWell (Middle East Edition)
CyberWellis an Israel-based nonprofit organization, established in 2022 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, that focuses on monitoring antisemitism and hate-driven disinformation on social media platforms.
The organization’s mission is to document and analyze how antisemitic narratives emerge, evolve, and spread online, particularly during periods of conflict or following violent attacks. CyberWell combines artificial intelligence tools with human analysis to identify patterns of dehumanization, incitement, and conspiracy narratives across multiple languages and platforms.
CyberWell serves as a Trusted Partnerto several global social media companies, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads), TikTok, and YouTube, allowing it to report content through established channels while also publishing public research, data, and trend analyses.
Led by founder and CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, CyberWell is funded through charitable and philanthropic contributionsand states that it operates independently from governments and technology companies.
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