Government acts on hatred
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there had been a "significant rise in antisemitism" since October 7 and he was "very pleased" Segal had agreed to take on the role.
Amid a spike in Jew hatred, Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) immediate past president Jillian Segal has been appointed Australia’s first special envoy to combat antisemitism.
Making the announcement at the Sydney Jewish Museum on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there had been a “significant rise in antisemitism” since October 7 and he was “very pleased” Segal had agreed to take on the role.
The Prime Minister noted that the war between Israel and Hamas “has caused a great deal of grief for the Jewish community and for members of the Islamic and Palestinian communities”.
“Australians overwhelmingly do not want conflict here. What they want here is harmony,” he said.
“We encourage people to be able to have different views, and to discuss these issues respectfully.”
Segal said antisemitism has impacted lives in “tragic and profound ways”, including parents being worried about sending children to school, creatives being subjected to exclusion and “shadow bans”, LGBTQ Jews being excluded, and businesses being boycotted and vandalised.
“All this affects the vibrancy and cohesion of the community more generally,” she said.
“But the creation of this role shows a determination by the government to confront this evil.
“I’m honoured to be given this opportunity to serve my country and my community. It is an enormous privilege and I will seek to discharge it faithfully.”
Member for Macnamara Josh Burns said Australia was “a beacon of diversity, of opportunity, of multiculturalism”.
“Over the last nine months that has been challenged,” he said.
“Conflict overseas is not a licence to divide our community here.”
Speaking in Canberra, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said Segal “is going to do a tremendous job”.
In a joint media release, Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, Shadow Minister for Citizenship Dan Tehan and Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Henderson called the appointment “a welcome step”, but said “stronger immediate action is needed”.
Member for Wentworth Allegra Spender said the appointment will “bring a national focus to the fight against antisemitism that is urgently needed”.
“I am pleased that the government has finally heeded the calls of myself and Australia’s Jewish community,” she said.
Member for Goldstein Zoe Daniel, who also advocated for an envoy, said, “I hope it will help contribute to social cohesion as well as the safety, security and wellbeing of the Goldstein community.”
The ECAJ commended the government for “taking this initiative”.
“A special envoy will be able to investigate and report to government on the nature, extent and impact of antisemitism in Australia, and will make recommendations to counteract it,” ECAJ president Daniel Aghion said.
“[Segal] will bring deep knowledge of the issues and immense energy to the role.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said the appointment showed the government “has recognised that the genie has escaped the bottle”.
“Of course, it is extremely concerning and disappointing that the need for such a role has arisen in democratic, multicultural Australia,” he said.
Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said Segal’s appointment is timely.
“The Jewish community backs the establishment of a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on university campuses, and looks forward to working with Ms Segal on this and other ways to combat antisemitism in Australia,” he said.
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