Businesswoman and attorney Jillian Segal was appointed as the special envoy to combat antisemitism in Australia, the Australian Prime Minister’s Office announced on Tuesday.
As special envoy, Segal will engage with Jewish Australian community about antisemitism and advise the government on policy against Jew-hatred.
Segal will serve a three-year term and report directly to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Immigration, Citizenship, and Multicultural Affairs Minister Andrew Giles.
“Jewish Australians want to feel free to live their day-to-day lives, and also want to feel safe to practice and express their religion without fear. They also want to be able to contribute as they have previously to the vibrant multicultural society that we value in Australia,” said Segal. “I look forward to working with stakeholders across the community to deliver a safer future for my community, and to strengthen social cohesion and drive a strong, informed and deliberate approach to combating antisemitism.”
Albanese said the appointment of an envoy was critical in attempts to ease tensions in Australia over the Israel-Hamas war. The government said it had invested $90 million into initiatives addressing the impact of the war in Australia, and a corresponding appointment of special envoy for Islamophobia would reportedly soon be announced.
'Australians must come together'
“Australians are deeply concerned about this conflict, and many are hurting. In times like this, Australians must come together, not be torn apart,” said Albanese. “We have built our nation’s social cohesion together over generations, and this is why we all must work together to uphold, defend and preserve it.”
Albanese’s government said in the statement that it would continue to press for a ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid, protections for civilians, the release of hostages, and a two-state solution.
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) welcomed the appointment of Segal, though the appointment was made by the Labor-led government, which it has been at odds with over its Israel and Levantine policies.
“There has been a surge of antisemitism across Australia since October 7. The two primary sources are the far Left and the Islamic community,” AJA CEO Robert Gregory said. “Anyone who wants to seriously combat antisemitism cannot be constrained by ‘political correctness’ and will have to call out the outrageous actions of the Greens as well as many in the Labor Party.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, to which Segal served as immediate past president, also hailed the decision.
“The ECAJ strongly supports the appointment of an Australian envoy to combat antisemitism,” ECAJ president Daniel Aghion said. “We commend Prime Minister Albanese and his government for taking this initiative in response to the unprecedented surge of antisemitism that has occurred in Australia and other Western countries since the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel, and the war started by it, on October 7.”
Giles said that Segal’s leadership experience, which included work with ECAJ and Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce chair, and decades of advocacy work “will be invaluable as she works with government to engage with community and take decisive steps to combat antisemitic behavior.”