Segal lays out antisemitism road map
The government's antisemitism envoy, Gillian Segal, has outlined an ambitious plan of action by her office to combat antisemitism.
The government’s antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, has outlined an ambitious plan to tackle rising antisemitism in Australia.
Speaking at the Fight Against Antisemitism event at the Toorak shule on Thursday night, she told the audience that Victoria has the worst track record with antisemitism of any state in Australia.
Since the October 7 atrocities, more than 800 antisemitic incidents have been recorded in the state, compared to 200 over the previous year.
“The golden age has come to an end, and this is our reality,” said Segal.
“I do not want to promise that there is one silver bullet, but I think there are a series of things that will happen here in Australia and around the rest of the world … but that is going to be a struggle.”
She outlined an ambitious plan of action by her office to combat antisemitism.
This will include a nationwide survey of non-Jewish Australians to gauge attitudes towards Jews and understanding of antisemitism.
This will see follow-up surveys conducted at 18 months and 3 years to measure progress.
Segal also wants to look at the legal framework around discrimination and hate speech laws.
“We have a lot of protections, but they’re not being used,” she said.
She also wants to develop educational programs for schools, and engage with universities to improve safety for Jewish students and academics.
Segal has already begun collecting personal stories of campus antisemitism. She also wants to work with businesses to implement training on antisemitism.
“A few weeks [ago] we had the Officeworks incident, where service was denied to a Jewish person, which has very unhappy reflections on what happened in Germany. But I think these can all be turned into opportunities for education,” said Segal.
Segal also emphasised the importance of Jewish participation in wider society, saying, “We have to commit to participating in the life of the general community. We have to speak to non-Jews. We need to invite them to our homes.”
The envoy also highlighted the role of social media in spreading antisemitism, particularly among younger generations.
“They are not open to multiple sources of information; they want their social media, and what’s on social media … is a major challenge for Jewish communities all over the world,” she said.
Segal plans to synthesize these initiatives into a national strategic plan, which she will present to the government.
“One person can’t do it all. I’m going to be relying on the community, and a lot will depend on the government of the day, [and] how receptive they’re going to be” she said.
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