Media panel on antisemitism
The panel discussion was part of the 42nd annual New Friends of Monte lunch.
Leading Australian journalists have revealed the personal impact of reporting on antisemitism since October 7 at a panel discussion for the New Friends of Monte annual lunch on May 15.
The panel, moderated by former ABC journalist Lahra Carey, featured The Australian’s chief international correspondent Cameron Stewart, Herald Sun state political reporter Carly Douglas and Digital Defence CEO Zara Cooper.
Stewart described witnessing the Opera House protest on October 9 as “the most pure and evil example of antisemitism, straight up there in front of all of Australia”.
“I think from that moment, myself and the paper realised that there will be two stories to cover here. For me, I covered both, the war in Gaza and the conflict here on the streets in northern Sydney and other places,” he said.
He recounted watching protests at Princes Park in Caulfield transform from legitimate anti-Israeli government chants to antisemitism, prompting urgent late-night reporting.
Stewart also highlighted the harassment of grieving Israeli parents at their hotel, where activists placed paint-covered baby dolls on the floor hours after a mother spoke at Mount Scopus Memorial College about losing her 22-year-old son at the Supernova Music Festival.
Douglas, who began her career at The AJN, described becoming the Herald Sun’s de facto “antisemitism reporter” after breaking the story of Galit Carbone, the only Australian killed on October 7.
“I felt like I was covering an incident every single week,” Douglas said, noting she received hate mail and letters trying to excuse local antisemitism by referencing Gaza.
She credited her established relationships within Melbourne’s Jewish community for enabling exclusive access to stories about hostages and survivors, saying other outlets lacked these connections and community trust.
Cooper, known for her satirical Clammy Fraud Instagram account, shared how she was “horrifically doxxed” after starting the page, receiving death threats and photos of her children.
After encountering “dead ends” with law enforcement despite documenting 18 pages of legal breaches, Cooper founded Digital Defence to address online safety through legal reform and education. “We don’t have online safety in Australia and that’s really concerning, because the online space is the epicentre of all the antisemitism we’ve been facing as a community,” Cooper said.
The panel discussion was part of the 42nd annual New Friends of Monte lunch, which supports Jewish Care’s aged care and general services.
Jewish Care held this event to raise awareness of the unprecedented level of social support services it has provided the community in the wake of rising antisemitism, and the need for funding to keep them running.
To support their appeal: jewishcare.org.au/2025appeal