WHAT WAS CLAIMED
An image shows the royal commission head Virginia Bell at a pro-Palestine march.
OUR VERDICT
False. The image shows former SBS newsreader Mary Kostakidis.
AAP FACTCHECK - A former high court justice who will lead the Royal Commission into anti-Semitism was not pictured at the front of a prominent pro-Palestine march, despite claims on social media.
The government established a Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion on January 8, following the Bondi terror attack on December 14.
It's being led by Virginia Bell, who was a justice of the High Court of Australia between 2009 and 2021.
Social media users have shared an image which they claim shows Ms Bell among leaders of a pro-Palestine march that crossed Sydney Harbour Bridge in August 2025.
However, the woman is actually former SBS journalist Mary Kostakidis.
"There's the judge, doing the royal commission, 2nd from the left," one post states, along with an image that features protesters, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
The user claims the woman standing to Mr Assange's right, wearing glasses, is Ms Bell.
Social media users have used the false claim to suggest the leader of the commission will be biased.
"If this was a horse race, the stewards would ban the jockey, trainer and owner - and probably the horse - for life," the post continues. "The fix is in!"
Ms Kostakidis attended the August 2025 rally, as confirmed by her social media posts on the day, and she has confirmed she is the woman next to Mr Assange in a response to an X user.
She is also identified as the woman in various reports from the day, including by News.com.au and by photojournalist Matthew Abbott.
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