MPs face the community

Labor Member for Kingsford Smith Matt Thistlethwaite reiterated the government’s commitment to the IHRA antisemitism definition during the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) plenum on Tuesday night.

Thistlethwaite was joined on the Zoom discussion by Member for Wentworth Allegra Spender and Member for Bradfield Nicolette Boele. Members of the community were able to submit questions, with Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim moderating the discussion.

Asked if the government still endorsed the definition, Thistlethwaite responded, “We’ve continually endorsed that definition since prior to the 2022 election.

“That position hasn’t changed. I know that the University of NSW, in my electorate, thankfully, has endorsed that definition, and we’ve encouraged other organisations to do that as well.”

The three parliamentarians also addressed Special Envoy Jillian Segal’s antisemitism report, with both Spender and Boele saying they had followed up with the Prime Minister about the government’s response.