Latest news with #JewishCouncilofAustralia
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Miriam Margolyes says 'you can't cancel me' amid calls for her to be stripped of OBE
Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes has been vocal in calling out Israel's actions in Gaza as she stands by her statements amid calls for her OBE to be taken from her Miriam Margolyes has revealed she doesn't fear getting cancelled after calling out Israel's actions in Gaza. She says she has a responsibility to speak out and call for change and doesn't worry about any consequences. The actress, 84, called for fellow Jews around the world to 'shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire' in Gaza last year. Miriam said she was 'so ashamed of Israel ' for defending its actions. The Harry Potter star teamed up with the Jewish Council of Australia where she issued her video message. It comes after Bob Geldof issued a desperate plea on Sky News to save babies in Gaza. There have been calls for Miriam to be stripped of her OBE after comparing the Israeli government's actions to the Nazis during the Holocaust. In an interview with the Big Issue, she said: "I cannot bear to think that my people are doing exactly the same thing to another nation." Miriam has stood by her statements and has no worries about it. She told The Guardian newspaper: 'People say: 'You're just an actor, for f***'s sake, shut up.' Well, that is a point of view. I don't happen to share that. "I think that if you have a chance to make an impact for good, to change things, then you should. I think it's an absolute requirement, and people don't, out of fear sometimes. They are afraid of being cancelled. You can't cancel me!' Miriam also had the same sentiments in her interview with the BBC as she said: "They talk about cancel, being cancelled, but nobody's going to cancel me, I'm not having it. "I don't think people should use that expression. Everybody should be able to express their opinion. What Israel is doing to Palestine is wicked and it's totally against our upbringing as Jews." In her video last year, Miriam said: 'To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He's changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious, genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.' She condemned the actions of Hamas and allies on October 7. Miriam said what is happening in Gaza is 'shocking, embarrassing and wicked and I cannot understand why all Jewish people, particularly members of synagogues, do not want immediately to stop what is going on.' The actress was awarded an OBE in 2002 for Services to drama, but she has now faced calls for her to be stripped of the honour. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) responded to her statements and called it 'repugnant'. A statement from the CAA said: "The fact she was born Jewish does not give her license to use her immense platform to spread anti-Jewish venom. 'This has to be the end of the road. She must be shunned by the showbiz world that has fawned and bowed until now.' CAA added that it would write to the Honours Forfeiture Committee as well as BAFTA to ask them to remove Miriam of her titles.
Courier-Mail
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Panthers players spotted at Sydney Pro-Palestine protest
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Penrith Panthers players Mitch Kenny and Izack Tago attended the Pro-Palestine march in Sydney on Sunday, a day after playing in an NRL victory. Tens of thousands of protesters marched across Sydney's Harbour Bridge in a massive demonstration that far exceeded the expected turn-out. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. About 90,000 people, including famous faces, braved the rain and descended on the iconic landmark with placards and flags in hand to call for an end to the war in Gaza after the Supreme Court rejected a last-minute application to block the protest on Saturday. Panthers hooker Kenny and centre Tago both played in Penrith's 30-26 win over the Gold Coast Titans at CBUS Super Stadium on the Gold Coast on Saturday. Get all the latest Australian news as it happens — download the app direct to your phone. Mitch Kenny and Izack Tago at the Pro-Palestine protest. Photo: X. Mitch Kenny and Izack Tago at the Pro-Palestine protest. Photo: X. The premiership-winning duo spent their Sunday at the rally in Sydney, organised by the Palestine Action Group, which was largely well-behaved despite police intervention over fears of a crowd rush. Tago and Kenny were spotted in the thick of things in the march and were happy to pose for photos with fans and give them a wave. Kenny wore a shirt that read 'Free Palestine', while Tago held a Palestine flag and wore a Palestine scarf around his head. As the march made its way across the city, Tago was spotted climbing part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge's steel structure. The Panthers declined to comment when contacted by Izack Tago (left) climbs the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Photo: Supplied. Tago (above) climbed up the Harbour Bridge. Photo: Supplied. The march was endorsed by hundreds of organisations and individuals, most notably: Amnesty International Australia, NSW Greens, Jewish Council of Australia, Arab Council Australia, Julian Assange, Bob Carr, Craig Foster and NSW Nurses and Midwives Association. In Sydney, thousands of protesters started crossing the bridge about 2pm on Sunday, chanting 'free, free Palestine' and waving placards. Some could also be heard chanting 'death, death to the IDF', a reference to the Israeli Defence Force. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore lent her support to the protesters saying: 'Discomfort from traffic can't be compared to what's happening in Gaza'. Jewish Council of Australia Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz backed the protest saying the marchers were 'crying out for moral leadership'. 'It is a time for all of us, including those in positions of power, to do everything they can to halt an active genocide and stand with the people of Gaza.' Pro Palestine protesters march towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw 'Almost catastrophic': Fears of crowd crush At about 3pm, NSW Police issued an urgent request for protesters to stop marching on safety fears, citing a possible 'crush' at the northern end of the bridge. 'Participants have been asked to stop proceeding across the bridge to avoid a crowd crush at the northern end of the harbour bridge,' the police said in what they called a 'protest safety intervention'. 'Once the procession has come to a halt, protesters will be asked to turn around and walk back toward Wynyard to avoid a risk of injury due to the huge number of people taking part. 'Police believe the safest route back is to walk back across the bridge given the huge numbers to avoid overwhelming the public transport system and a potential crowd crush scenario.' The crowd started dispersing from the bridge about 3.30pm and traffic started crossing the bridge about 4.30pm. People, including Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Craig Foster, march across the Harbour Bridge during a pro-Palestinian rally. (Photo by Lisa) Penrith cop mega punishment for trainer act Penrith's win over the Titans kept their dream of winning a fifth consecutive NRL premiership alive, with the victory putting them just one point behind the fourth placed Warriors on the ladder. The Panthers were fined $50,000 and trainer Corey Bocking banned for five matches after he interfered with a Titans conversion attempt on the weekend. The NRL confirmed the stunning penalty on Monday which came as a result of 'previous breaches by Penrith Panthers trainers'. Bocking who ran directly across the path of Titans kicker Jayden Campbell, who was attempting a conversion in last weekend' match. Campbell had to furiously compose himself and ultimately missed the conversion before Nathan Cleary sent the game into extra time with a long-range field goal. The Panthers won the match thanks to a Blaize Talagi golden point try which cost the Titans two crucial points in their bid to avoid the wooden spoon. Originally published as Panthers players spotted at Sydney Pro-Palestine protest
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Government Told NZ Should Not Follow Australia's Lead To Criminalise Support For Palestine
14 July 2025 Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand government NOT to follow Australia's example with measures which would effectively criminalise the Palestine solidarity movement. The Australian government has announced plans to implement recommendations from its anti-semitism envoy which PSNA says creates a 'hierarchy of racism' with anti-semitism at the top, while Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism hardly feature. However we know at least some of the appalling anti-semitic attacks in Sydney have been bogus. PSNA Co-chair John Minto says PSNA has no tolerance for anti-semitism in Aotearoa New Zealand, or anywhere else. 'But equally there should be no place for any other kind of racism, such as Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Our government must speak out against all forms of discrimination and support all communities when racism rears its ugly head. Let's not forget the murderous attacks on the Christchurch mosques.' Minto says the Australian measures will inevitably be used to criminalise the Palestinian solidarity movement across Australia. 'We see it happening in the US, to attack and demonise support for Palestinian human rights by the Trump administration. We see it orchestrated in the UK to shut down any speech which Prime Minister Starmer and the Israeli government don't like.' PSNA agrees with the Jewish Council of Australia who have warned the Australian government adopting these measures could result in 'undermining Australia's democratic freedoms, inflaming community divisions, and entrenching selective approaches to racism that serve political agendas' Minto says the free speech restrictions in the US, UK and Australia have nothing to do with what people usually understand as anti-semitism. 'The drive comes from the Israeli government. They see making anti-semitism charges as the most effective means of preventing anyone publicly pointing to the genocide its armed forces are perpetrating in Gaza.' 'The definition of anti-semitism, usually inserted into codes of ethics or legislation, is from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The IHRA definition includes eleven examples. Seven of the examples are about criticising Israel.' 'It's quite clear the Israeli campaign is to distract the community from Israel's horrendous war crimes, such as the round-the-clock mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, and deflect calls for sanctions against Israel.' 'Already we can see in both the UK and US, that people have been arrested for saying things about Israel which would not have been declared illegal if they'd said it about other countries, including their own.' Minto says there are already worrying signs that the New Zealand government and New Zealand media and police are falling into the trap. 'Just over the past few weeks, there has been an unusually wide-ranging mainstream media focus on anti-semitism; At least one opinion piece in the Stuff newspapers from NZ Jewish Council spokesperson Ben Kepes on anti-semitism here A major interview in Stuff on anti-semitism with NZJC spokesperson Ben Kepes A New Zealand Herald opinion piece from NZJC spokesperson Juliet Moses A New Zealand Herald podcast featuring Holocaust Foundation spokesperson Deborah Hart. The Holocaust Foundation is partly funded by the Israeli Embassy. An enthusiastic 1News item on the latest appeal to the government to adopt similar measures here to those taken in Australia (TVNZ One News 13 July 2025) Stories highlighting anti-semitic graffiti in Wellington – numerous reports along these lines Stuff newspapers highlighting the case of an assault on a visiting Israeli after an altercation in Christchurch with the accused held overnight, denied bail and the police claiming it was a 'hate crime' However, our politicians and media have been silent about; An attack which knocked a young Palestinian woman to the ground when she was using a microphone to speak during an Auckland march An attack where a Palestine supporter was kicked and knocked to the pavement outside the Israeli embassy in Wellington. The accused was wearing an Israeli flag. He was not held in custody and the Post newspaper has reported neither the arrest nor the resulting charge (this case is due in court 15 July) An attack on a Palestine solidarity marshal in Christchurch who was punched in the face, in front of police, but no action taken. An attack in Christchurch when a Destiny Church member kicked a solidarity marshal in the chest (no action taken by police) Anti-Palestinian racist attacks on the home of a Palestine solidarity activist in New Plymouth. One of our supporters has had their front fence spraypainted twice with pro-Israel graffiti and their car tyres slashed twice (4 tyres in total) and had vile defamatory material circulated in their neighbourhood. (The police say they cannot help) The frequent condemnation of anti-semitism by the previous Chief Human Rights Commissioner, but his refusal to condemn the deep-seated anti-Palestinian racism of the New Zealand Jewish Council and Israel Institute of New Zealand. The refusal of the Human Rights Commission to publicly correct false statements it published in the Post newspaper which claimed anti-semitism was increasing, when in fact the evidence it was using was that the rate of incidents had declined. Minto says in each of the cases above there would have been far more attention from politicians, the police and the media had the victims been Israeli supporters. 'Meanwhile, both our government and the New Zealand Jewish Council have refused to condemn Israel's blatant war crimes. There is silence on the mass killing, mass starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. The Jewish Council and our government stand together and refuse to hold Israel's racist apartheid regime to account in just about any way.' 'This refusal to condemn what genocide scholars, including several Israeli genocide academics, have labelled as a 'text-book case of genocide', brings shame on both the New Zealand Jewish Council and the New Zealand government.' 'Adding to the clear perception of appalling bias on the part of our government, both the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, have met with New Zealand Jewish Council spokespeople over the war in Gaza.' 'But both have refused to meet with representatives of Palestinian New Zealanders, or the huge number of Jewish supporters of the Palestine solidarity movement.' 'New Zealand must stand up and be counted against genocide wherever it appears and no matter who the victims are.'
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'Extraordinary overreach': anti-Semitism report blasted
A plan to combat anti-Semitism including suggestions funding may be stripped from arts bodies and events amounts to overreach, a pro-Palestinian writer says. The recommendation to axe support for publicly funded institutions and festivals that promote or fail to effectively deal with hate speech is part of Australia's anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal's report. The federal government is considering the advice as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. Writer and activist Omar Sakr said adopting the recommendations would lead to further silencing people who supported the Palestinian cause. The report's suggested measures were so wide-ranging they amounted to "extraordinary overreach", he said, arguing pro-Palestinian artists were already treated unfavourably by the sector. "It's beyond clear that the end goal of this strategy is a kind of cultural apartheid and it aims for a total stigmatisation and erasure of Palestinian culture," Sakr said. He was one of a group of writers contracted to provide teen workshops at the State Library of Victoria in 2024 before their agreements were cancelled following an examination of their political views, including his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Ms Segal's report, released on Thursday, also suggested deporting and cancelling the visas of people involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was already taking those steps, pointing to the decision to block controversial US rapper Kanye West from entering the country after he released a song titled Heil Hitler. "We screen people ... when they apply for visas it's something that we make sure that we represent Australia's national interests," he told reporters on Friday. Criticism of the report has also focused on Ms Segal's recommendation Australia adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition, Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", saying the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding was "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "(It) clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine - and indeed, so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government," she told ABC Radio. She said the Jewish Council of Australia, a progressive organisation, was a small group that did not represent the nation's broader Jewish community. Several other Jewish groups called for her recommendations to be adopted in full. They include embedding Holocaust education into school curriculums and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, in addition to terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread pro-Palestinian student encampment protests were portrayed as targeting Jewish people. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she said. Universities Australia has committed to considering the report's recommendations. Walkley Award-winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, while it was also ordering Palestinians into what critics have labelled an internment camp. "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she said. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. Australia's government-appointed envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, said he would soon provide "comprehensive" recommendations to the prime minister. A plan to combat anti-Semitism including suggestions funding may be stripped from arts bodies and events amounts to overreach, a pro-Palestinian writer says. The recommendation to axe support for publicly funded institutions and festivals that promote or fail to effectively deal with hate speech is part of Australia's anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal's report. The federal government is considering the advice as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. Writer and activist Omar Sakr said adopting the recommendations would lead to further silencing people who supported the Palestinian cause. The report's suggested measures were so wide-ranging they amounted to "extraordinary overreach", he said, arguing pro-Palestinian artists were already treated unfavourably by the sector. "It's beyond clear that the end goal of this strategy is a kind of cultural apartheid and it aims for a total stigmatisation and erasure of Palestinian culture," Sakr said. He was one of a group of writers contracted to provide teen workshops at the State Library of Victoria in 2024 before their agreements were cancelled following an examination of their political views, including his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Ms Segal's report, released on Thursday, also suggested deporting and cancelling the visas of people involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was already taking those steps, pointing to the decision to block controversial US rapper Kanye West from entering the country after he released a song titled Heil Hitler. "We screen people ... when they apply for visas it's something that we make sure that we represent Australia's national interests," he told reporters on Friday. Criticism of the report has also focused on Ms Segal's recommendation Australia adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition, Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", saying the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding was "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "(It) clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine - and indeed, so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government," she told ABC Radio. She said the Jewish Council of Australia, a progressive organisation, was a small group that did not represent the nation's broader Jewish community. Several other Jewish groups called for her recommendations to be adopted in full. They include embedding Holocaust education into school curriculums and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, in addition to terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread pro-Palestinian student encampment protests were portrayed as targeting Jewish people. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she said. Universities Australia has committed to considering the report's recommendations. Walkley Award-winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, while it was also ordering Palestinians into what critics have labelled an internment camp. "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she said. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. Australia's government-appointed envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, said he would soon provide "comprehensive" recommendations to the prime minister. A plan to combat anti-Semitism including suggestions funding may be stripped from arts bodies and events amounts to overreach, a pro-Palestinian writer says. The recommendation to axe support for publicly funded institutions and festivals that promote or fail to effectively deal with hate speech is part of Australia's anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal's report. The federal government is considering the advice as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. Writer and activist Omar Sakr said adopting the recommendations would lead to further silencing people who supported the Palestinian cause. The report's suggested measures were so wide-ranging they amounted to "extraordinary overreach", he said, arguing pro-Palestinian artists were already treated unfavourably by the sector. "It's beyond clear that the end goal of this strategy is a kind of cultural apartheid and it aims for a total stigmatisation and erasure of Palestinian culture," Sakr said. He was one of a group of writers contracted to provide teen workshops at the State Library of Victoria in 2024 before their agreements were cancelled following an examination of their political views, including his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Ms Segal's report, released on Thursday, also suggested deporting and cancelling the visas of people involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was already taking those steps, pointing to the decision to block controversial US rapper Kanye West from entering the country after he released a song titled Heil Hitler. "We screen people ... when they apply for visas it's something that we make sure that we represent Australia's national interests," he told reporters on Friday. Criticism of the report has also focused on Ms Segal's recommendation Australia adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition, Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", saying the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding was "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "(It) clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine - and indeed, so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government," she told ABC Radio. She said the Jewish Council of Australia, a progressive organisation, was a small group that did not represent the nation's broader Jewish community. Several other Jewish groups called for her recommendations to be adopted in full. They include embedding Holocaust education into school curriculums and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, in addition to terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread pro-Palestinian student encampment protests were portrayed as targeting Jewish people. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she said. Universities Australia has committed to considering the report's recommendations. Walkley Award-winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, while it was also ordering Palestinians into what critics have labelled an internment camp. "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she said. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. Australia's government-appointed envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, said he would soon provide "comprehensive" recommendations to the prime minister. A plan to combat anti-Semitism including suggestions funding may be stripped from arts bodies and events amounts to overreach, a pro-Palestinian writer says. The recommendation to axe support for publicly funded institutions and festivals that promote or fail to effectively deal with hate speech is part of Australia's anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal's report. The federal government is considering the advice as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. Writer and activist Omar Sakr said adopting the recommendations would lead to further silencing people who supported the Palestinian cause. The report's suggested measures were so wide-ranging they amounted to "extraordinary overreach", he said, arguing pro-Palestinian artists were already treated unfavourably by the sector. "It's beyond clear that the end goal of this strategy is a kind of cultural apartheid and it aims for a total stigmatisation and erasure of Palestinian culture," Sakr said. He was one of a group of writers contracted to provide teen workshops at the State Library of Victoria in 2024 before their agreements were cancelled following an examination of their political views, including his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Ms Segal's report, released on Thursday, also suggested deporting and cancelling the visas of people involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was already taking those steps, pointing to the decision to block controversial US rapper Kanye West from entering the country after he released a song titled Heil Hitler. "We screen people ... when they apply for visas it's something that we make sure that we represent Australia's national interests," he told reporters on Friday. Criticism of the report has also focused on Ms Segal's recommendation Australia adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition, Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", saying the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding was "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "(It) clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine - and indeed, so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government," she told ABC Radio. She said the Jewish Council of Australia, a progressive organisation, was a small group that did not represent the nation's broader Jewish community. Several other Jewish groups called for her recommendations to be adopted in full. They include embedding Holocaust education into school curriculums and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, in addition to terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread pro-Palestinian student encampment protests were portrayed as targeting Jewish people. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she said. Universities Australia has committed to considering the report's recommendations. Walkley Award-winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, while it was also ordering Palestinians into what critics have labelled an internment camp. "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she said. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. Australia's government-appointed envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, said he would soon provide "comprehensive" recommendations to the prime minister.
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Envoy rejects anti-Semitism plan's free speech concerns
Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations. Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations. Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations. Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations.
