The special envoy’s report doesn’t hold all the answers for defeating antisemitism |
In the wake of the Bondi terror attack, the government is under pressure to do more to address antisemitism in Australia.
Many have raised a report by antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal as holding the answers we need. Released back in July, the government is yet to formally respond.
But what does the report recommend, and how much of it is useful for tackling antisemitism? While there are some good ideas in it, it’s not a fix-all for this deeply complicated problem.
In response to rising numbers of antisemitic incidents, the Albanese government appointed Segal in July 2024 as the nation’s first special envoy to combat antisemitism. The government also commissioned a plan with recommendations to address the issue.
One year later, Segal published her plan, which set out those recommendations.
The context was highly charged. Jewish organisations were warning of rising hate. This included hate speech, discrimination, bullying, vandalism and physical assaults, and reported increases in both volume and severity.
Other voices pushed back, arguing the numbers were inflated and legitimate criticism of Israel was being counted as antisemitism.
The debate was intense, both within the Jewish community and across the wider public.
Released amid an already........