Australian news and politics live: Israel responds to Albanese’s ‘important’ anti-Semitism strategy

Israel’s Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, has welcomed the federal government’s newly released national plan to combat antisemitism and urged that it be put into action without delay.

“We welcome the release of Australia’s national plan to combat antisemitism – an important and timely initiative,” he said on X.

“Thank you to Special Envoy Jillian Segal and the Albanese government for recognising the urgency of this issue. The real test now lies in swift and effective implementation.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has welcomed a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that finds Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014.

In a statement posted to X, Wong called the decision “another historic moment” for the 298 victims and their families, including 38 Australians who lost their lives when the passenger jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

“We again call upon Russia to face up to its responsibility and make reparations for this horrific act,” she wrote.

US President Donald Trump added Wednesday evening US time to his growing list of countries that would face steep tariffs in the coming weeks if they fail to reach trade agreements with the United States, as he threatens to drag nations large and small into his trade war.

On his social media account, the President posted form letters informing countries, including the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Moldova, Brunei, Libya, Iraq and Algeria, that they should prepare for double-digit tariff rates.

Except for the name of the country and the tariff rate, the letters were identical to those he posted on Monday, which targeted 14 nations.

Read more.

The special envoy to combat anti-Semitism has released an action plan to stamp out the hatred across Australia, the culmination of a year’s work.

Jillian Segal has called for action by parliaments and civil society, including the justice and education systems, to create long-term change.

The 20-page plan includes 49 concrete actions across 13 focus areas, including a commitment to report annually on progress towards their implementation.

Read more: The key points in Australia’s anti-Semitism action plan.

The Opposition has welcomed the release of Jillian Segal’s national plan to combat antisemitism, but is pressing the Albanese Government for greater transparency on what it intends to deliver.

In a statement, the Coalition said the Government had shown “leadership on what has been a significant national issue since October 2023” and criticised the Prime Minister’s refusal to commit to the plan in full.

“We note that when the Prime Minister was asked directly if he would commit to implementing the plan in full, he refused to do so,” the statement read.

“Despite being willing to launch the plan today, it is not clear which measures the Albanese Government supports and which it does not. Australians deserve some clarity on this.”

Sussan Ley said the plan demonstrated that antisemitism was “not just a problem of security or law enforcement”.

“It’s a cultural and societal cancer that needs attention through our schools, universities, media, and even the arts,” she said.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Julian Leeser added that the responsibility must go beyond the envoy alone.

“It cannot be left to the envoy alone, it needs the Prime Minister’s commitment, not just to hear the envoy’s advocacy, but to action her policies,” he said.

Australia’s security cannot be simply defined by American or Chinese actions in the region, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a keynote speech on Thursday.

“There are some who want to define Australia’s security in terms of what China or the United States is doing in the region. Or even more simply, define Australia by our traditional allies and partners alone. This has never sat well with me,” she said.

While these essential relationships were of “crucial importance”, Australia would take its “own approach to our relationships, to the rules and to this region that we share,” Senator Wong told the Institute for Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia.

Senator Wong, who is in Malaysia for ASEAN foreign ministers’ meetings, underscored the message of the Prime Minister in his weekend speech marking the 80th anniversary of the death of Labor’s wartime prime minister John Curtin, where he stressed Australia would forge its own path in foreign policy.

The US remained “critical” to the Indo-Pacific’s strategic stability, and China could also wield its strength to contribute to security and economic resilience, she said.

But the Foreign Minister also called out Beijing for the “worrying pace” of China’s nuclear and conventional military buildup, “without the transparency that the region expects.”

Opposition leader Sussan Ley says any potential challenge of the election result in Bradfield where Gisele Kapterian narrowly missed out would be in the hands of the state branch.

Asked what the Liberal party were planning as the deadline for a challenge fast approached, Ms Ley told reporters she was a “remarkable” candidate but left the decision for the State team.

“Gisele is an outstanding Australian. A remarkable woman of the Liberal Party and ran a fine campaign in the seat of Bradfield.

“In terms of processes that will now take place and in terms of what happens, that is a matter for the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party. I am sure there will be announcements soon.”

Australia’s special envoy for antisemitism’s report has found a generational divide in the views of Australians’ share of the Middle East and the Jewish community.

Jillian Segal revealed there was a “stark difference” with those over and under 35, which she said reflected in the cohort’s media consumption and perceptions of the war.

“Antisemitism is evident within schools and universities and has become ingrained and normalised within academia and the cultural space,” the report stated.

“We are on a dangerous trajectory where young people raised on a diet of disinformation and misinformation about Jews today risk becoming fully-fledged antisemites tomorrow.”

The Prime Minister is asked about Donald Trump’s suggestion yesterday that the US could impose 200 per cent tariffs on pharmaceutical products, although it may not come into effect for 12 or 18 months.

Mr Albanese says his government is continuing to engage “in the national interest” with the Trump administration.

“But I’ve made it very clear that the issues such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the media bargaining code that’s not about a tax, that is about journalists being paid for the work that they do, and our biosecurity laws to protect our agricultural interests are not on the table for negotiations. They’re a part of who Australia is,” Mr Albanese said.

“I’ve said that for some time now I’m not going to give a running commentary on day-to-day issues. What we will do though is to engage constructively.”

Australia’s special envoy for anti-Semitism has unveiled a sweeping plan to combat the issue after reported incidents across Australia has risen 300 per cent since the October 7 Hamas terror attack.

Jillian Segal announced the plan flanked by Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke in Sydney on Thursday, which includes recommendations on public broadcasting, migration, policing, and education, among other issues.

Ms Segal has been working on the plan since her appointment last year, which will include short-term and long-term recommendations — some of which would require new legislation to enact.

It comes after a spate of incident across Melbourne last week including the firebombing of a synagogue and protesters storming an Israeli-owned restaurant Miznon in the city’s CBD.

“In the space of just a year, reported incidents increased over 300 per cent,” Ms Segal said.

See full report here.