‘Heavy-handed’: Former minister breaks ranks on antisemitism report

A former Albanese government minister has broken ranks to brand aspects of a national plan to tackle antisemitism as “heavy-handed”, prompting accusations from Jewish Australians he was downplaying the threat of hatred aimed at them.

A Jewish community leader also hit out at Education Minister Jason Clare for the “bizarre” suggestion he would wait until the government receives a report on Islamophobia before responding to antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal’s recommendations for schools and universities.

Former minister Ed Husic has criticised the envoy’s report, becoming the first Labor MP to break ranks on the issue.Credit: Photos: Ben Appleton/Nick Moir

Former industry and science minister Ed Husic, who was moved to the backbench following a post-election cabinet reshuffle, said the report made “some really important” points, but was concerned with certain sections and some of Segal’s commentary.

“With the greatest respect to the special envoy, I wasn’t entirely comfortable that she just singles out public broadcasting for attention,” Husic told ABC radio on Wednesday. “There’s a role to play across media on these issues, and I didn’t necessarily think it was justified to point out the public broadcaster.”

Last week, Segal said reporting by the ABC on the war in Gaza was an example of “manipulated narratives” that could lead to antisemitism.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke both endorsed Segal’s report when she launched it last week, though neither committed to implementing specific recommendations, and mainstream Jewish groups backed it as a vital blueprint to tackle antisemitism.

Husic, who is Muslim, has previously broken ranks with the government over Israel and is the first Labor MP to criticise Segal’s report. The MP, who lost his ministry in a factional power struggle, said the government should be careful about rushing to adopt her recommendations. “Let’s take the time to think it through,” he said. “A lot of thought’s been put into it.”

There has been rising antisemitism in Australia, including arson attacks and racist graffiti on Jewish buildings, since Hamas’ massacres in Israel on October 7, 2023 and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza.

In a wide-ranging report delivered last week, Segal concluded that antisemitism was spreading in Australia and urged funding be cut from organisations that fail to stop antisemitism, describing this as a last-resort option.

Husic said: “I would much prefer us finding ways to bring people together rather than being heavy-handed in response.”

When asked about the contested International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which has been proposed for universal adoption by Australian public institutions, Husic said he had “never needed a definition” of antisemitism in his work as a public figure.

“The issue of definition instantly brings into question whether or not people will be able to raise their concerns of the actions, for example, of what the Netanyahu government is doing in Gaza, and how that would be treated under a definition,” he said.

Australia Palestine Advocacy Network President Nasser Mashni said: “Ed Husic is absolutely right to be concerned about this push for the adoption of the highly controversial and dangerous IHRA definition of antisemitism, and the heavy-handedness of the antisemitism envoy’s recently released report.”

He added that “threatening to withhold funding from creative and educational institutions if they refuse to toe Ms Segal’s line has nothing to do with combating hate, but is rather a brazen attempt at enforcing silence and political compliance”.

Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler responded to Husic by saying: “I struggle to understand what the motivation is to downplay the explosion of antisemitism that has happened in this country and to delay a response.

“All it does is make the government’s good faith attempts to enhance social cohesion and tackle antisemitism more difficult.”

Leibler stressed that the IHRA definition of antisemitism says that criticism of Israel, its policy, and politicians “similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic”, meaning it would not shut down debate on the Netanyahu government or war in Gaza.

Asked when the government would respond to Segal’s recommendations on education, Clare told reporters on Wednesday: “I don’t intend to look at this report in isolation.

“Next month the government will receive a report from the special envoy in combatting Islamophobia … We wait to see his recommendations.”

Branding these comments “bizarre”, Leibler said: “Antisemitism and Islamophobia are separate problems that need to be addressed on their merits. I find the conflation deeply troubling.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin took issue with Husic for questioning Segal’s claim that social media was leading a disturbing number of young people into antisemitic thinking.

“Antisemitism is becoming more entrenched among young people,” he said. “This is shown through extensive research, which reveals a startling acceptance of antisemitic stereotypes by those under the age of 35.”

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