Free Palestine Melbourne filed this submission with the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on 12 June 2026. It responds to evidence before the Commission — including in its Interim Report — that Palestine solidarity protests are antisemitic in nature. FPM argues that no credible, tested evidence supports that claim, and that the Commission’s approach has provided a platform for Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism to go unchallenged.
The submission is divided into four parts:
- The role of political protest in democracy, freedom and the rule of law — including expert evidence on the March for Humanity (3 August 2025), the largest single rally in Australian history;
- Why the equation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism is analytically incoherent and politically motivated;
- The meaning of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “intifada” — neither carries inherently antisemitic meaning;
- Findings and recommendations, including support for the APAN submission’s recommendations.
The submission is supported by expert reports from Dr Effie Karageorgos, Professor Ghassan Hage, Dr Abdul Bashid Shaikh, and Professor Mustafa Sheikh.