The Albanese government says it will ramp up its response to recommendations to combat antisemitism put forward by its special envoy in the wake of Bondi’s terrorist attack.
In the wake of Sunday’s shooting, the government has been criticised for its delay in responding to, or adopting, all of the July report’s “key actions”.
Labor’s political opponents have used it as proof Australia hasn’t done enough to stamp out the rise in antisemitism in recent years.
The special envoy and report author, Jillian Segal, acknowledged on Tuesday there was no “silver bullet” and that combating antisemitism required a “multi-factorial, multifaceted approach”.
Anthony Albanese has been quick to point out what his government has done so far.
So what exactly does the report recommend Australian authorities do?
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What does the antisemitism envoy’s report cover?
Segal’s 20-page plan was released in July after nine months of work, and contained 49 key actions for the special envoy and governments to deliver in order to take on antisemitism.
The report followed a documented rise in the number of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Australia after 7 October 2023.
“Antisemitism is not just a threat to Jews; it attacks the foundation of our nation; the fairness, equality and respect we have for one another. It is contrary to all the Australian values we hold dear,” Segal wrote in the report’s foreword.
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“When hatred goes unchallenged our democracy is at risk. The response must be clear and unequivocal. There is no place for antisemitism in modern Australia.”
What were the key recommendations?
First and foremost, Segal’s report recommended all levels of government adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism – a definition that is contested in some quarters, with concerns it is increasingly being used to conflate antisemitism with criticism of Israel.
Some of the primary recommendations included expanding hate speech and hate crime laws to include “violent or intimidating protest activity”, withdrawing funding for universities and cultural institutions which fail to effectively address antisemitism, as well as updated visa processes to screen for antisemitic views or affiliations.
Other key recommendations include:
Setting up a national database for antisemitic incidents.
Developing guidance on antisemitism for government, police, judiciary and school systems.
Media monitoring to prevent false or distorted narratives.
Developing a university report card on efforts to combat antisemitism.
Removing deductible gift recipient status from charities that promote antisemitic speakers, or engage in conduct that promotes antisemitism.
It’s important to note that some recommendations are for government while others are actions the special envoy’s office can undertake.
What has the government adopted?
The federal government declined to commit to the plan in full upon its release, with Albanese saying he “wouldn’t like to put a deadline on [it]” when asked if institutions could have funding withdrawn within the year.
But this week, as criticism was levelled at his government, Albanese listed off a number of actions taken so far.
According to the prime minister, they include:
The banning of Nazi symbols and strengthened hate crime laws (both passed prior to the report’s release).
Outlawing doxing after the identities of Jewish creatives within a controversial online chat in 2024 were revealed, leading to alleged death threats.
The creation of a national student ombudsman to deal with complaints within the tertiary sector.
The special envoy is delivering a university report card to evaluate measures to promote inclusivity for Jewish students and staff.
A review by the home affairs department of possible changes to the system that assesses whether a visa applicant has incited or promoted hatred or any vilifying behaviour at any group.
$4m to expand the social cohesion work of education nonprofit Together for Humanity in schools.
What concerns were raised about the report at the time?
Some of the report’s recommendations have sparked concerns among academics and peak bodies that funding could be weaponised to censor opinion and silence dissent, particularly around pro-Palestine protest and critique of Israel.
Segal recommended her office work with government to withhold public funding from universities, programs or individuals within universities that “facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism”. If adopted, the special envoy’s office could terminate public grants provided to university centres, academics or researchers “where the recipient engages in antisemitic or otherwise discriminatory or hateful speech or actions”.
The Jewish Council of Australia’s executive officer, Max Kaiser, said if the government did so it would function as a tactic that “echoes the authoritarian playbook used by figures like Donald Trump – using funding as a weapon to enforce ideological conformity”.
Prof Jo Caust, a principal fellow at the University of Melbourne’s school of culture and communication, said it would be a “disaster” for Australia to go down the path of the US on questions of censorship, adding that it all depended on how the plan was interpreted and actioned.
What’s happening with the rest of the report?
Albanese said this week the government was “continuing to work on” issues raised in Segal’s report, with many recommendations implemented or under way.
He added the government would extend additional funding for security for Jewish community sites.
“We’ll continue to work with the community to do what we can to stamp [it] out. We want to eradicate antisemitism. That is the objective here,” Albanese told ABC radio on Tuesday.
It remains unclear whether the federal government will adopt all 49 key action points.
Labor MP Josh Burns told ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday his government needed to “speed this up” and bring the full suite of recommendations to the table.
“What I’d like to see is a timeline and … an agenda around how, ideally, national cabinet will work together to combat this in all of its different manifestations,” he said.
