PM says antisemitism is ‘despicable’, Special Envoy’s plan is a basis to move forward

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called it a basis for moving forward.

Combating not a new problem, he says, but one that remains insidious.

“Antisemitism is an evil scourge and there is no place in Australia for antisemitism. The kind of hatred and violence that we’ve seen on our streets recently is despicable and it won’t be tolerated. I want those responsible to face the full force of the law.”

Jillian Segal was appointed the Special Envoy on Antisemitism almost a year ago to the day.

She’s now calling for a national effort to address what she says is “one of the world’s oldest hatreds”.

“The plan is grounded in Australian values – it’s adaptive and it’s adapted to our federal legal framework.”

Her plan to combat antisemitism warns that incidents have reached “deeply troubling levels” – surging by over 300 per cent.

More than 2,000 cases were reported in the period between October 2023 and September 2024.

“And that includes threats, vandalism, harassment and physical violence, we’ve seen cars being torched, synagogues being torched individuals Jews harassed and attacked. And that is completely unacceptable.”

In this last week alone, the Special Envoy highlighted an attempted arson attack on a Melbourne Synagogue as one such example, as well as the storming of an Israeli-owned restaurant by protesters.

The group behind the action has disputed antisemitism was their motive.

The Prime Minister says, regardless, there is no justification.

“Whatever your issue in the Middle East – it is not advanced by attacking people here in Australia because of who they are, because of their faith, because of their identity.”

The report also identifies that “younger Australians are more likely than older Australians to hold antisemitic views”.

The Special Envoy’s recommendations targeting areas across civil society from reviewing, and, where appropriate, strengthening anti-hate laws, education in schools, university reform, online regulation, and the role of public broadcasters.

“The fact that it is not merely something for the federal government, but it’s across all society. The role of the government will be fundamental in this, in terms of both directly engaging the plan – implementing aspects of it, but also sending a clear message through society that this is the way forward and the expectation is that everyone will do their part.”

But others have expressed concern over the potential impact of the report’s recommendations, if adopted.

“I mean, this is straight out of the Trump playbook. This is mislocating the problem of antisemitism as being a problem of migrants, cultural institutions, universities, and by implication, the protest movement. And we think that that is not the source of antisemitism. There are serious issues with antisemitism in Australian society, but they can’t be dealt with in isolation. They have to be dealt with as part of much broader efforts to tackle racism as a whole in Australian society.”

The Prime Minister says the recommendations will be carefully considered.