‘Not going to tolerate' antisemitism: Bill Shorten outlines university's plan to combat ‘hate' following envoy report
Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal handed down a major report on Thursday, just one year after the business executive was appointed to the role.
Ms Segal ordered university chancellors and vice-chancellors to cooperate with her plan to stamp out antisemitism on campuses, or risk funding cuts.
Following the recommendations announcement, Mr Shorten said he thought it was important to promptly take a stance on the matter, as 'Antisemitism is real'.
'It's not a creation of the right wing or Israel lobbyists, antisemitism is real. It's a centuries-old hate, and we thought it was all in the history books but now it's come out of the drains,' Mr Shorten told Sky News on Friday.
In light of incidents such the alleged arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue last week, Mr Shorten said antisemitism needs to 'be called out'
'And Jewish Australians have got to know... we're not going to tolerate people being treated badly because they're Jewish,' he said.
Pressed as to whether the University of Canberra will be implementing the special envoy's recommendations, the vice-chancellor said it will work with other universities and will ensure the safety of students with Jewish heritage on campus.
'I do not want people coming from outside the campus causing grief, and Australians of Jewish heritage have got to feel that when they come to the University of Canberra, this is a place where they can study, learn, be treated with respect,' Mr Shorten said.
'... UC wants students of all faith, including kids of Jewish heritage.'
Ms Segal's report outlines a series of measures needed in order to combat antisemitism, which it claimed had 'reached a tipping point that threatens social harmony, undermines trust in institutions and marginalises Jewish Australian citizens'.
Ms Segal told Sky News host Sharri Markson on Thursday that she planned to delegate work for 'different parties', especially the federal and state government, and educational and cultural institutions.
'There's support I will need from the federal government, but also from state governments, also from leaders in society, leaders of cultural institutions, chancellors and vice-chancellors at universities,' Ms Segal said.
'I will be putting them to the task of supporting me when I need federal government support, but equally I'll be looking to state governments to support educational initiatives.
'I'll looking to universities to continue what has been very cooperative stance from them in moving towards initiatives to combat antisemitism on campuses.'
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Barred Israeli Knesset Member Simcha Rothman breaks silence as Israel revokes Albanese govt officials' visas in retaliation
Israeli politician Simcha Rothman has broken his silence after his visa was cancelled by the Albanese government just a day before he was set to arrive for Jewish community events. Mr Rothman, who is a member of the Religious Zionist Party in the Knesset, joined Sky News on Monday following a decision to ban him from Australia for three years. He was set to speak at synagogues, in Jewish schools and hold meetings with the Jewish community, with the decision to bar him from Australia leading Israel to promptly revoke Albanese government officials' visas in retaliation. Minister for Home Affairs of Australia Tony Burke. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman Israeli Knesset Member Simcha Rothman. Picture: Sky News Australia Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told Sky News his government would block anyone spreading "a message of hate and division". 'Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division," he said. 'If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don't want you here.' Mr Rothman said he had awoken at 5.30am and saw the decision had been not because of 'controversial comments', but for ideas accepted by 'wide consensus in Israel'. Speaking to Sharri Markson, Mr Rothman said Australia's decision to reject him for views which are accepted by 'high-pass resolutions in the Knesset' meant the Albanese government was not just against him, but the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Mr Rothman said Australia's decision to reject him for views which are accepted by 'high-pass resolutions in the Knesset' meant the Albanese government was not just against him, but the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Picture: Debbie Hill/Pool Photo via AP 'I saw many people in Australia chanting in the streets: 'From the river to the sea, Palestine would be free.' I would think this is a message of hate and division that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and for actually for genocide of Jews,' he said. 'I did not see the government of Australia doing anything against those messages.' In a Channel 4 interview in May, Mr Rothman described Palestinian children as Israel's 'enemies', claimed Gazans were not dying of hunger and that Palestinians who were blocking the Israel Defence Force's access to Hamas were 'aiding and abetting' terrorists. Mr Rothman equated the war in Gaza with past conflicts involving England and insisted there were more innocent civilians killed in the latter's wars than in Israel's current one. 'When there is a combat zone, when there is a terrorist organization who is hiding behind civilians, you should let them run away and if you are blocking them, you're aiding and abetting a terrorist organization using them as human shields. That's not a moral thing to do,' he said. 'If the United Kingdom want to be a humanitarian country that cares about human rights and human lives, they would help the Gazans who want to leave the area leave and not aid Hamas to use them as human shields.' Asked why fleeing Gazans, including children, were not permitted to enter into Israel, Mr Rothman said it was because 'they are our enemies'. 'According to international treaties about refugees in a time of war, you don't let them conquer your country with refugees,' he said. Mr Rothman told Sky News on Monday he stuck by his Channel 4 interview and clarified the people who were 'technically children' had participated in the October 7 terror attacks. He claimed children had been taught 'from age zero' to kill Jews and some of the aid funding channelled into Gaza, which went to Hamas, had come from Australia. 'I don't think that's something of a controversial, definitely not in Israel, and not for anyone in his right mind,' he said. 'We saw children that were taught from age zero, and by the way through funding that came from Australia and other countries to kill all Jews at sight, I think that you say that to allow them inside Israeli borders, that's insanity. 'I think to say that Israel is facing the most terrible enemies, it teaches its children from kindergarten to kill all Jews, that's fine.' Mr Rothman said young Gazan children had been 'corrupted by Hamas' and 'Nazi ideology' and the people who are against it, and the violence inflicted on October 7, are accused of divisiveness. 'People who (are) against Hamas who are against raping of innocent civilians, who are again raping women and children and beheading of children… If you are against it, then you are spreading hate and divisions,' he said. 'Shame on Minister Burke.' Following Sharri Markson's exclusive reporting, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirmed on X he had also decided to revoke the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority by way of retaliation. "The Australian Ambassador to Israel was just notified on the matter," he wrote. "I also instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel." Israel's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sharren Haskel told Sky News she was "dismayed to learn of the Australian government's decision". "Mr Rothman is a democratically elected member of Israel's parliament who was invited by the Australian Jewish community to take part in important discussions and events," she said. "His exclusion sends a troubling message about the strength of democratic exchange between our two countries." Ms Haskel added Israel and Australia have long enjoyed a close friendship built on shared values of democracy and freedom of speech. "It is my hope that this decision will be reconsidered," she said.
