Incidents of antisemitism skyrocketed across Australia following October 7, a survey of thousands of Australian Jews has found.

Since the beginning of the war, one in five Jewish adults had personally experienced insults or harassment because of their background, according to the results of the survey, conducted in November.

Some 7,600 Jewish Australians were polled for the research by the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Melbourne’s Monash University and  community organisation JCA Sydney, with the findings revealing unprecedented levels of concern about antisemitism.

Australia has seen a vocal protest movement against Israel mushroom since October, with standout incidents including a now-infamous occasion when protestors at the Sydney Opera House were filmed chanting what some believe to be “Gas the Jews”. New South Wales Police have said an expert review had concluded those filmed were actually yelling “Where’s the Jews”, although other antisemitic phrases, including “F*** the Jews” had been chanted.

More than two-thirds of Jewish students studying at Australian universities said they had personally encountered hostility towards Israel from other students at their university, according to the poll.

Earlier this month, education minister Jason Clare labelled University of Melbourne pro-Palestine protesters repugnant for saying "Israel would cease to exist", while the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has remarked the number of antisemitic incidents observed in recent months was higher “than any that I've seen during my lifetime”.

On Monday, Marles visited Mount Scopus Memorial College, a Jewish school in Melbourne graffitied with the words “Jew die” across its entrance last Friday.