STATEMENT
10 July 2025
I welcome today’s release of the Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism, but I am staggered that it has taken this long for the Albanese Government to finally prioritise the safety and dignity of Australia’s Jewish community.
Let’s be clear: the kind of antisemitic hate this plan seeks to address are violent attacks on synagogues, harassment of Jewish students, and the open spread of hate symbols and rhetoric on our streets, which has been amplified since October 7, 2023. That’s nearly three years that this Government has sat on its hands while Jewish Australians were threatened, abused and intimidated in their homes, their schools, and their places of worship.
While I acknowledge the hard work of Jillian Segal AO, who has called out the seriousness of this crisis and has produced a credible, action-oriented roadmap, it is equally clear that the Albanese Government has been dragged kicking and screaming to this point.
Just last year, Ms Segal warned that antisemitism was being normalised in our institutions, called it “systemic” in our universities, and urged the Government to take urgent, coordinated action. Her frustrations with the lack of leadership were obvious then and today’s full-page photo of the Prime Minister in the report doesn’t change the fact that his Government has been slow to act.
So the question is this: will the Government now adopt the recommendations and act?
The Plan calls for a range of actions, including the introduction of a national university report card on antisemitism with funding consequences for institutions that fail to act; mandatory training for police, prosecutors and judges to better recognise and respond to antisemitism; strengthened hate crime laws to address vilification, incitement and the use of prohibited symbols; the establishment of a national hate crime database to ensure consistent tracking and transparency; screening of visa applicants for extremist or antisemitic views, including powers to deport; tougher regulation of digital platforms and AI to prevent the spread of online hate; and cultural and curriculum reform to embed Holocaust and antisemitism education across schools and public institutions. All of which are actions the Coalition supports and many of them we’ve been calling for since 2023.
Labor should have led this response two years ago, not two years too late. Jewish Australians have waited long enough.
The time for more reviews, roundtables and rhetoric is over. The Albanese Government must urgently implement this Plan and deliver the protections the Jewish community deserves, not in months or years, but now.
Because when hate is left unchecked, it doesn’t just threaten one community, it weakens our democracy.
[ENDS]
You can view the full report here: https://www.aseca.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-07/2025-aseca-plan.pdf
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
