Dvir Abramovich: The troubling truth behind Guy Pearce’s apology for circulating antisemitic conspiracies

Every so often, a public apology arrives that feels less like contrition and more like an escape hatch. Guy Pearce’s recent statement, in which he apologised for circulating antisemitic conspiracies and falsehoods about Israel, falls squarely into that category. Pearce now says that “in my support of Palestine, I inadvertently reposted misinformation and falsehoods.” He also announced that he would “step back from social media” to prevent “further hurt or confusion.” I don’t doubt that Pearce regrets the storm he created. Regret, after all, is the easiest part of any apology. But regret is not responsibility, and disappearing from social media is not the same as stepping up to the truth. Because what happened here wasn’t a minor lapse or a careless retweet. It was something more troubling. In a matter of days, Pearce amplified some of the ugliest and oldest tropes in the antisemitic canon: conspiracy theories about Jewish control, false claims about 9/11, insinuations that Jews dominate global industries, material alleging Israel secretly assassinated a political commentator, and even posts from white supremacist Nick Fuentes, a man who makes bigotry seem performative, almost casual. He also shared a now-deleted message declaring he had “never been so disgusted by a group of people” as he was by Israelis. These are not harmless ideas. They are the same myths that have, for centuries, turned Jews into targets. They have toppled communities, ignited riots, and left graves where families used to stand. History records what happens when these stories catch fire. And in today’s world, where the line between online rumour and real-world harm is so thin, the stakes are even higher. Some teenager in a bedroom, scrolling through his feed, unsure where to channel his confusion or anger, sees a respected actor repeat these messages, and suddenly the darkest suspicions feel validated. An apology cannot undo that. Words spoken to millions cannot be retracted by a few sentences sent to thousands. For Jewish Australians, the sting was sharp. Many woke up to see a national icon embracing conspiracies that have a long and violent history, then announcing his disgust toward Israelis as if an entire people were a moral category unto themselves. In a moment already thick with fear and rising intimidation, those words did not simply add fuel. They threw sparks onto dry ground. I take no pleasure in saying any of this. I’m not calling for banishment or for careers to be torched. But moral clarity demands that we name what happened: Pearce didn’t just misread the room. He misread history. And when history is misunderstood, it has a habit of repeating its worst chapters. A real apology requires more than retreat. It requires an understanding of why these ideas are dangerous, why they echo with centuries of pain, and why people felt betrayed. It requires acknowledging that antisemitism is not a relic; it’s a shape-shifter. It mutates, adapts, reinvents itself, waiting for someone with a platform to give it oxygen. This moment is not about punishing a celebrity. It’s about recognising the environment we’re all living in — one where misinformation spreads faster than facts, and where a single falsehood can travel from a screen into the bloodstream of society in minutes. When public figures play with that fire, the potential damage is not symbolic. It is lived and felt. I hope Guy Pearce treats this moment not as an exit but as an entry into deeper learning, deeper reflection, a deeper sense of the weight his words carry. Until that happens, his apology, welcome as it may be, remains incomplete. This year has left many Jewish Australians feeling unsteady, unsure of the ground beneath them, wondering how easily their neighbours can be swayed by old suspicions dressed in new language. They do not need half-measures. They do not need vague regrets or “misinformation” disclaimers. They need honesty, not hashtags. Accountability, not avoidance. Moral repair, not public relations. That work has not yet begun. Dr Dvir Abramovich is Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission and the author of eight books.