Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, has identified what she calls “progressive” anti-Semitism as the country’s most pervasive form, prompting a strong backlash from the Jewish Council of Australia.
Bart Shteinman, the council’s executive officer, described the report as “Orwellian” and said it did not represent the views of all Jewish Australians.
“This updated report from the Special Envoy is so misguided, conspiratorial and frankly Orwellian that it’s hard to know where to start,” he said.
Ms Segal said Islamic extremist, far-left and far-right anti-Semitism remained serious concerns. But she argued that Jewish Australians were increasingly being excluded and discriminated against in influential institutions because they were blamed for the actions of the Israeli government.
She stressed that criticism of Israel at a level comparable with criticism directed at any other country should not be considered anti-Semitic.
Mr Shteinman accused the report of reflecting a right-wing ideology aimed at silencing people who draw attention to Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
“The report does little to mask a right-wing ideology that will go to incredible lengths to silence those drawing attention to Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” he said.
He added: “The Australian Government would do well to remember that the special envoy does not speak for all Jews, many of whom could be classified as ‘progressive anti-Semites’ themselves under the ridiculous analysis Segal is promoting.”
Dispute over the definition of anti-Semitism
The report said “progressive anti-Semitism” could include holding Jewish people collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.
A central recommendation was the continued use by the Australian Government of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, which has been criticised as placing excessive restrictions on certain forms of speech.
The alliance regards denying the Jewish people’s right to self-determination as anti-Semitic. The report states that Zionism represents a form of Jewish self-determination in their “ancestral homeland”.
It also said language aimed at “Zionists” was increasingly being used in place of language directed at Jews in order to avoid appearing “transparently and obviously anti-Semitic”.
Ms Segal said the December 2025 Bondi shooting, in which 15 people were killed, demonstrated that the normalisation of anti-Semitism in institutions and public debate could not be separated from the threat of extremism and violence.
“Bondi exposed with devastating clarity that the normalisation of anti-Semitism in our institutions and public discourse cannot be separated from the threat of extremism and violence,” she said.
The report also made education a priority, calling for efforts to reduce anti-Semitism in schools, universities, businesses and the private sector, including through continued use of the alliance definition.
