Business owner reveals torrent of abuse and cancellations after feminist writer Clementine Ford publ

A small business owner whose personal details were exposed in the 'doxxing' of hundreds of Jewish creatives involved in a private WhatsApp group said she fears for her family's safety amid a deluge of abusive messages. 

The names of almost 600 Jewish writers, artists, musicians and academics who were part of a private WhatsApp group set up in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks were leaked by high-profile pro-Palestine activists, including feminist author Clementine Ford who published a link to the list, on Thursday.

The so-called 'doxxing' - a term used to describe the publication of private or identifying information - has prompted a wave of abuse towards those named in the list. 

Daily Mail Australia spoke to one business owner identified in the leak who said the group was initially set-up in response to a wave of anti-Semitism in Australia prompted by the fall-out of the Israel-Gaza war.

Activist Clementine Ford has defended publishing a link to list identifying details about members of a Jewish WhatsApp group

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But the business owner, who this publication is not naming to protect her identity, said she left the group after only three days.

Despite this, her name and business were identified in Thursday's leak and she has since been receiving dozens of abusive messages.

'We started getting prank calls, abusive emails and comments left on our social media pages,' she said.

'We've had to delete our Instagram account and have even decided to change the name of our business. 

'Two clients have already cancelled their bookings and demanded refunds. It will probably further impact our clientele because no one wants to be associated with anyone involved in controversy, even if we've done nothing wrong.'

The business owner said she was afraid the abuse might escalate and was worried for the physical safety of her two young children. 

Another Jewish business owner Maggie May Moshe told The Age that she being outed as a member of the group had led to her being targeted.

She said her gift store in the inner Melbourne suburb of Thornbury had been plastered with anti-Israel stickers and graffiti while her personal and business channels had been inundated with abusive posts.

Ms Ford said publishing the WhatsApp group chat demonstrated the coordinated efforts to 'silence Palestine activists'

Her professional musician husband Joshua Moshe has been dumped from he has been a long-time member of.

As a result the couple are moving to a Melbourne area where more Jewish people live.

Victoria Police said they were investigating the supposed 'doxxing'.  

'Police are investigating following reports the personal details of a number of people, who belong to a private social media chat group, appear to have been released online,' a police spokesperson said. 

The business owner has reported the abusive messages to the police but she was told they could only act if there were actual threats of violence. 

She said she cared equally for the Palestinians and the Israelis who were suffering in the ongoing conflict. 

'The actions of the Israeli government have absolutely nothing to do with Jews living in Australia,' she added. 

She also made a personal plea to Ms Ford.

The WhatsApp group involved Jewish members in creative industries responding to the activities of pro-Palestinian activists

'Please stop ... it's really just a primitive attack on decent people who only want peace,' she added. 

'Australia needs to be a place that promotes peace and equality amongst all of its citizens so please stop spreading hate.'

Ms Ford did not reply to the Daily Mail's attempts to contact her for comment but she has defended her actions in an Instagram post. 

She accused 'media players' of ignoring that 'anti-Zionist Jewish people were involved in collating this info into this link (and also were responsible for leaking it in the first place), not to mention the reasons it was leaked at all'.

The WhatsApp group provided an 'insight into the coordinated efforts are to silence Palestinian activists and their allies,' according to Ms Ford. 

'This is a group of 'creatives' working to silence voices calling for Palestinian liberation,' Ms Ford wrote.

'Knowing that I will likely see some of these people at industry events is sickening - but not quite as sickening as knowing how many more peers I'll run into who have maintained silence on Palestine AND the people trying to harm others because of it.'

Ms Ford ended the post by stating the group showed how 'diabolically deep it goes'. 

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said: 'It has been said to me by numerous community members that they feel relief that their parents or grandparents who survived the Holocaust are not alive to see this'

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the WhatsApp group was started when group members saw pro-Palestinian activists organising boycotts and anti-Israel petitions in their industries.

'This was a way for community members to share information, support each other and protect their reputations and livelihoods which were being relentlessly targeted,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday.

'Others were shocked by the normalisation of antisemitism and wanted to join with colleagues to do something about it. These WhatsApp groups became a refuge.'

The 'doxxing' of group members had left Mr Ryvchin in 'great shock and disbelief that people are once again drawing up lists of Jews'. 

'It has been said to me by numerous community members that they feel relief that their parents or grandparents who survived the Holocaust are not alive to see this.

'Our community members who were motivated to speak up by the October 7 attacks and historic levels of local antisemitism should be proud and we stand with them in unity and solidarity.

'We call on our fellow Australians to resist the harassment and bullying, and when asked to sack or blacklist Australian Jews, to say not in our time and not in our country.'

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