Israeli attorney recounts online harassment after surviving Bondi Beach massacre

Bondi Beach terror attack survivor and human rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky gave an account on Monday of his experience in the aftermath of the shooting before Australia’s royal commission, which convened for its third round of hearing since its formation in January.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion listened throughout the day to witnesses who experienced antisemitic incidents, in a session focused on the spread of hate speech online and in traditional media sources, according to ABC News, a subsidiary of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The Israeli attorney related that an image of his injury shared on social media about two hours after the attack was altered for mockery purposes and the spread of conspiracies, the report read.

The offensive comments and manipulation of his image spread “like wildfire,” he said.

Some of these labeled him a “trauma tourist” and an actor in a “false flag attack,” while others claimed the blood depicted in the original photo was fake.

The manipulated images depicted Ostrovsky holding an Oscar statue and others a ketchup bottle, while his face is covered in blood.

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“It was surreal to be in the state that I was in hospital and seeing this material at the same time. This was happening as I was literally being prepped to go into surgery,” ABC News quoted him as telling the commission.

The survivor branded the online abuse as “overwhelming,” “dehumanizing” and “vicious.”

On Dec. 14, 2025, two terrorists, a father and son, opened fire at an annual Chanukah candle-lighting event at Bondi Beach. Fifteen innocent people were killed and 40 others were wounded.

The father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police during the attack. His son, Naveed Akram, of Indian origin, survived the attack after being treated at a hospital.

The royal commission was established to investigate the circumstances that led to the worst massacre in Australia in decades, and produce a report with recommendations for the government by the end of the year.