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Indigenous Friends of Israel International warns that antisemitism must be confronted across the political spectrum, defending Jewish Australians while protecting legitimate criticism and freedom of expression.

The criticism directed at Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal AO, following the release of her updated roadmap has once again exposed a troubling division in Australia’s public debate about antisemitism.

Some progressive politicians, activists and advocacy organisations have characterised her recommendations as an attempt to silence criticism of Israel and undermine freedom of speech.

But this argument risks obscuring the very issue Australia needs to confront.

Criticism of Israel is not automatically antisemitic. But neither does criticism of Israel provide immunity from accusations of antisemitism when Jewish people are targeted, vilified or discriminated against.

These are two separate matters, and both deserve to be recognised.

People have every right to criticise the Israeli government, disagree with its policies, advocate for Palestinian rights and participate in peaceful demonstrations. Freedom of expression is a fundamental democratic principle that must be protected.

However, that freedom cannot become a justification for targeting Jewish Australians because of their identity, holding them collectively responsible for the actions of Israel, promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories or creating environments in which Jewish students, employees and families feel unsafe.

Antisemitism Is Not Confined to the Political Right

The distinction matters. Antisemitism does not belong to one political ideology, but Jillian Segal needed to call out progressive antisemitism because it has not had enough recognition.

We have recognised for some time that social justice has been twisted to provide a cover or mask for antisemitism and that it has become fashionable in left-wing circles to be anti-Israel, which can morph into antisemitism.

For too long, antisemitism has been understood primarily through the lens of far-right extremism, neo-Nazism and traditional racial hatred. These remain serious threats. But antisemitism is not confined to the political right.

It can also emerge within left-wing political movements, radical activist groups and environments that otherwise identify strongly with human rights and social justice.

Being progressive does not automatically make someone immune to prejudice. Nor should antisemitism be excused because it is expressed using the language of liberation, equality or human rights.

A genuine commitment to fighting racism must apply consistently, including when the prejudice comes from within one’s own political community.

Protecting Jewish Australians While Defending Free Speech

Concerns about freedom of expression and academic independence should not be dismissed. They deserve careful consideration when evaluating individual recommendations.

However, there is a difference between expressing a political opinion and engaging in discrimination, intimidation or harassment.

A Jewish university student should not have to criticise Israel’s government to justify their right to study without being targeted.

A Jewish employee should not have to conceal their identity to feel safe at work, or a Jewish patient be fearful in hospital.

A Jewish family should not have to fear attending a synagogue or community event because of hostility towards Israel.

These are not questions of political opinion. They are questions of equality, dignity and safety. Examine the recommendations, not the political labels.

It is entirely reasonable to debate the implementation of Jillian Segal’s recommendations. Some proposals will require careful examination, appropriate safeguards and consideration of their implications for democratic freedoms.

But rejecting the entire report as an attempt to silence Israel’s critics does not address the problem it seeks to confront.

The question should be whether the proposed measures will help protect Jewish Australians and reduce antisemitism, while maintaining the freedoms that are essential to a democratic society.

We should be able to defend both. A responsibility shared by all Australians.

Education Is Essential to Challenging Antisemitism

At Indigenous Friends of Israel International, we believe education is central to challenging prejudice.

Our work is built on the conviction that understanding other people’s histories, identities, and experiences is essential to building a society in which everyone can live with dignity and mutual respect.

We cannot selectively oppose racism. We cannot condemn antisemitism on one side of the political spectrum while overlooking it on another.

Nor can we build social cohesion by dismissing the fears and experiences of Jewish Australians.

Jillian Segal’s recommendations deserve serious consideration, not automatic rejection based on political disagreement.

Australia needs an honest national conversation about antisemitism, one that recognises its different manifestations and is prepared to confront it wherever it occurs.

Antisemitism is not a left-wing or right-wing issue. It is a human rights issue. And standing against it should never be a partisan choice.

In conclusion,

• We welcome legitimate scrutiny of the recommendations.
• We defend freedom of expression.
• We reject the conflation of all criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
• We equally reject the use of political activism as a shield for antisemitism.
• We expect the same standards of anti-racism to apply to everyone.

Australia cannot educate its way out of antisemitism if it is unwilling to acknowledge all the places where antisemitism is occurring. It must be recognised in schools, universities, workplaces, the media, the health sector, political movements and civil society.

And education must equip people to recognise it, regardless of who is expressing it or what political language they use.

That is precisely why the work we have done in developing primary school antisemitism and social cohesion units for Grades 1-6 at three levels is so relevant.

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