Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism has warned that a new form of antisemitism is being advanced by progressive social justice activists who give hostility towards Jewish Australians a “respectable veneer”.
Jillian Segal makes the claim in a report setting out priorities for tackling antisemitism, which also criticises universities and calls for greater scrutiny of the ABC and SBS.
The report says antisemitism has traditionally been associated with the far Right, the far Left and Islamist extremism. But Ms Segal argues that a more socially acceptable version is now emerging among people who present their views as criticism of Israel and support for human rights.
“What we have is antisemitism that I describe as much more in the middle: well-intentioned people who are concerned about the policies of the state of Israel and feel critical of them,” she said.
“It’s really conflating criticism of policies of the government of Israel onto Jewish Australians. And actually, Jewish Australians have got no influence on the state of Israel. They may not support any of those policies, and yet, they are suffering.”
The report says hostility has included online abuse, exclusion, doxxing, graffiti and violence. It also argues that Zionism – the belief in Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state – has increasingly become a proxy for antisemitism.
“Increasingly, and often to avoid appearing transparently and obviously antisemitic, it has become common to vilify, target and ostracise ‘Zionists’ rather than ‘Jews’,” the report says.
Ms Segal said Israel and its government should be open to criticism like any other democratic state, while stressing that Jewish Australians should not be held responsible for its policies.
Online hate and public broadcasters
The report identifies social media as a major driver of contemporary antisemitism, warning that conspiracy theories and hate have flourished online.
Ms Segal said there had been “an explosion of hate” against Jews after Hamas’s October 7 terror attack, followed by a further increase after the Bondi terror attack. The report says social media was then flooded with denials of the killings and conspiracy theories.
One of its most controversial recommendations is the creation of an external, independent watchdog for the ABC and SBS, to be established by the federal government.
The report says Jewish Australians have raised concerns about coverage of Israel and the Middle East, including allegations that reporting has been “disproportionate, misleading or inaccurate”. It also says some Jewish people have been abused and accused of being “baby killers” or supporters of “genocide” because they believe Israel has a right to exist.
The ABC and SBS have defended their Middle East coverage and internal complaints procedures at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. Ms Segal said serious complaints should instead be dealt with independently and transparently.
Universities and public funding
The report accuses universities of serious shortcomings in responding to antisemitism, including failing to adopt a uniform definition despite an agreed definition being endorsed by vice chancellors in 2025.
It says university leaders have expressed regret, but have been slow to respond to campus encampments, office invasions, activism in learning environments and disruptive actions described as hostile to Jewish staff, students and visitors.
Jennifer Westacott, chancellor of Western Sydney University, acknowledged “a collective failure to address the escalating severity of antisemitism” across the sector.
“Universities have to be places where ideas can be respectfully contested,” she said. “They have to be places of debate, and they can be places of peaceful protest, but they should never be places of hate or fear.”
Among the report’s other recommendations is withholding or removing public funding from people or organisations that engage in or tolerate antisemitism, including in the arts, culture, sport and university research.
“My principle is that government money should not be used to foment hate in any sphere,” Ms Segal said.
The report also proposes training for visa decision-makers, education on antisemitism in schools, the public sector and businesses, and a national healthcare antisemitism taskforce.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly said antisemitism was “a serious and deeply troubling challenge in Australia” and that Jewish Australians had a right to feel safe.
“We must never allow international conflicts to become a licence for hatred here at home,” she said. “Australians can hold different views, including on events overseas, without turning against one another.”
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is due to deliver its final report on December 18.
