Jillian Segal lays out ambitious agenda to confront antisemitism crisis
In the wake of a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly since October 7, Jillian Segal, Australia’s inaugural Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, delivered her first public address in Sydney.
Jillian Segal
Speaking at the September plenum of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Segal outlined a bold and urgent agenda to counter this growing crisis.
Segal detailed the broad mandate of her role, which includes advising the government, coordinating across different levels and branches of government, and liaising with both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
Segal explained that her broad mandate includes advising the government on countering antisemitism, coordinating across various government branches, and fostering cohesion between Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
Segal emphasized that, at her request. she has been set up as an independent contractor, rather than a government employee, in order to have the flexibility to make public statements and submissions without requiring approval.
A key initiative of Segal’s has been gathering testimony from around 100 Jewish university students and staff about antisemitism on campus. Their harrowing experiences formed the backbone of her submission to a Senate inquiry, which advocated for both a judicial inquiry and immediate reforms to tackle the issue head-on.
“A Judicial inquiry would not solve all the problems and all the other things that I proposed needed to be done would not solve the problems we needed both.”
Segal was particularly disturbed by the testimony she heard, describing it as “incredibly upsetting, heart-rending as to how Jewish students are isolated, intimidated, harassed, bullied, feeling that they don’t belong, and in fact, have been told officially by tutors and lecturers to stay home for your own safety.”
“And of course, that’s just completely intolerable and a complete breach of what universities are about; to be a place for everyone to feel safe and to explore ideas and to establish skills and friendships across the board and complete, you know, destruction of what universities stand for and ultimately what democracy is all about, because that’s the sort of cradle of democracy, is what happens at universities.”
The Education Minister has since announced an independent ombudsman for sexual harassment complaints, and expanded their remit to include antisemitism, which was one of her recommendations.
Beyond the university sector, Segal outlined plans to focus on schools, media, business, and the legal framework as part of a strategic plan for her office. She emphasized the need for a collaborative approach, working with existing community organizations and government agencies.
“We need to try and coordinate a little bit, or not necessarily coordinate in the sense that there’s only one organization, but that everybody knows that they’re going to focus on one of those areas as well as doing their regular work.”
Segal also stressed the importance of engaging with other communities in order to foster social cohesion, despite acknowledging the “big gulf to walk through between communities.”
Segal is in the process of assembling a 4–5 person team based in Sydney and Melbourne, supported by the Department of Home Affairs, and aims to have the office fully operational by the end of October. With her team in place, Segal is committed to delivering concrete actions that will help Australia confront and reduce the growing crisis of antisemitism.
