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

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.

Anthony Albanese says the mark of success will be “when Australia is the sort of country that I want to see each and every day, where students can go to school without any fear, where cultural diversity and expression is flourishing, where people can engage with each other and be enriched by the diversity that is our society”.

Jillian Segal says she has gone through the report in great detail with Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly, who was elevated into cabinet after the election.

Dr Aly isn’t at the press conference because she’s on leave, but Ms Segal said the minister was committed to supporting and working through the issues in the action plan.

Ms Segal rebuffs a question asking why it took last week’s alleged arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue to bring forward the plan.

She says she’s been drafting it for about nine months and the work has taken time because other things were occurring at the same time such as parliamentary inquiries and new legislation across various jurisdictions.

The 20-page plan to fight anti-semitism includes 49 concrete actions across 13 concrete areas.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stopped short of committing to enacting the plan in full, noting that some of it calls for action by State governments and other parts of society.

Many of the actions also require long-term approaches.

“What we’ll do is work constructively with the envoy. This isn’t something that is, ok on the 10th of July, done, tick and we move on,” Mr Albanese said.

“This will be a process my government has committed to working constructively and engaging.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who also holds the arts portfolio, is asked whether funding would be withdrawn from arts organisations or universities within a year over anti-Semitism.

He says many of the issues are already taken into account.

“If you go back, you’ll find we don’t announce the ones we don’t fund, if I put it in those terms, but certainly a very careful lens is put on these things,” he said.

Anthony Albanese said the idea that the cause of justice for Palestinians provided people with an excuse for hateful and criminal behaviour was “not only delusional, it is destructive” and inconsistent with democratic values.

“Regardless of your views on the Middle East – and there are a range of views across Australian society – put forward those views respectfully, peacefully, orderly, do not target individuals in the way that it has occurred,” the Prime Minister said.

He also says that social media has a social responsibility to help stamp out hate and anti-Semitism and big tech companies need to be held to account for enabling it.

The action plan addresses anti-Semitism in laws, classrooms, universities, media, workplaces, online spaces and public institutions.

Jillian Segal said the plan also has a positive side, aimed at “increasing the vibrancy of Jewish life” in cultural spaces.

It includes:

• looking at strengthening hate crime legislation, including adding new protections against the speaking and demonstrating of hatred
• Training on how to apply existing laws and understand anti-Semitism
• A national hate-crime database
• Public funded institutions like universities, cultural bodies and broadcasters will be expected to uphold consistent standards and demonstrate accountability in fighting anti-Semitism
• Nationally consistent approach to teaching about the history, harms and modern forms of anti-Semitism including age-appropriate lessons in schools

Jillian Segal describes anti-Semitism as one of the world’s oldest hatreds, one that is “based on myths and tropes over the centuries and it has shape-shifted spanning religion, race and Zionism”.

She says the plan she has given to the Government is proactive, adapted to the federal legal framework and grounded in Australian values, and it covers several areas for action.

“Anti-Semitism is not new, and it didn’t start with the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October, but we have seen a very troubling, deeply troubling, rise in anti-Semitism and behaviour at home since then,” she said, adding that reported incidents grew four-fold in one year.

“We’ve seen cars being torched, synagogues being torched, individual Jews harassed and attacked, and that is completely unacceptable. In this last week, as you all know, we’ve seen the terrible events in Melbourne.

“These are not isolated events, and they form part of a broader pattern of intimidation and violence that is making very Jewish Australians feel very unsafe, and this should concern every Australian, because the safety and dignity of one community affects us all.”

Anthony Albanese is opening his remarks launching the plan to combat anti-Semitism by saying there is no place in Australia for it.

“The kind of hatred and violence that we have seen on our streets recently is despicable and it won’t be tolerated and I want those responsible to face the full force of the law,” the Prime Minister says.

He appointed Jillian Segal as a special envoy on anti-Semitism more than a year ago, and the plan being released today is the result of her work.

But Mr Albanese says that work doesn’t stop now but rather is something “that government needs to work with civil society on at all levels and each and every day and every week and every month and every year”.

The Government will now consider the recommendations in Ms Segal’s report.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says Anthony Albanese should plan a visit to the East Melbourne synagogue that was firebombed on Friday.

“I hope that there has been dialogue between the Prime Minister’s team and Jewish Australians,” she said on Thursday.

“He hadn’t — when I visited the synagogue in Melbourne — been there. I hope he puts that in his diary to visit soon.

“ I hope he sits down and has those conversations that he needs to have with Jewish Australians, who have experienced something that is truly horrific.”