Coalition heaps pressure on Labor for action on anti-Semitism report

The Coalition has added pressure on the Albanese government to act on its anti-Semitism envoy’s report about combating rising anti-Jewish hate, demanding an explanation why it would wait for ‘unrelated’ reports before acting.

Liberal MP Julian Leeser is pressuring the Albanese government to take action now on its anti-Semitism report rather than wait for a report on Islamophobia. Picture: Martin Ollman

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The Coalition has added pressure on the Albanese government to act on its own anti-Semitism envoy’s report about combating rising anti-Jewish hate in Australia, demanding an explanation as to why it would wait for “unrelated” reports before acting.

Education Minister Jason Clare has said he would not act until seeing a similar ­report on ­Islamophobia, expected later this year from the Race Discrimination Commissioner.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman and parliament’s highest-ranking Jewish MP told The Australian the government needed to explain the delay.

“Any act of Islamophobia is unacceptable and must be ­unequivocally condemned,” said Julian Leeser, adding: “The government should give genuine consideration to any ­recomm­end­ations from the ­Islamophobia envoy that protect Muslim Australians. But at the same time, the ­government already has in hand Jillian Segal’s report into anti-Semitism – a comprehensive work plan that the government needs to adopt.

“In the wake of ongoing firebombings, threats and anti-­Semitic abuse directed at businesses, creatives and students on university campuses, it beggars belief that the government refuses to act until it receives a report unrelated to anti-Semitism.

Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on July 10. Picture: Nikki Short

“When Jillian Segal handed down her report, the Prime Minister and (Home Affairs Minister) Tony Burke stood beside her and said all the right things.

“They need to explain why they are delaying committing to her report.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to anti-Semitism, this government has a history of being all talk and no action.”

Ms Segal’s plan contained almost 50 recommendations, including stripping universities and arts festivals of public funding if they fail to stop anti-Semitism, training migration officials to screen for extremists, and implementing a definition of anti-Semitism for all levels of government and public institutions.

Mr Clare said he wanted to see reports being prepared by Islamophobia envoy Aftab Malik and the Race Discrimination Commissioner before the government considers “those recommendations to their final conclusion”.

“We expect to see that report from the Special Envoy on Islamophobia next month,” he said.

“We’ll get the report from the Race Discrimination Commissioner later this year. But I do think I need to look at all of those reports that might make different recommendations here.”

The Executive Council of Jewry, the country’s peak Jewish community organisation, on Wednesday said it expected “progress in the implementation of Ms Segal’s plan … regardless of what reports on other issues may be presented in coming months”.

“Ms Segal is the government’s expert adviser on addressing the specific problem of anti-Semitism and, after deep consultation, she has produced a clear and practical road map for ending a crisis of more than 21 months and counting. This is something that cannot wait.”