Efforts to combat anti-Semitism are well-received, yet concerns arise over envoy’s strategy, as Australia’s race commissioner indicates | Australian politics

Australia’s race discrimination commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, has expressed concerns about the limited details provided in Jillian Segal’s plan to combat antisemitism. Despite reservations, Sivaraman has pledged to collaborate with Segal to ensure the plan does not encroach upon fundamental rights and freedoms. Sivaraman welcomes a comprehensive approach to addressing all forms of racism, emphasizing the need for actions that safeguard Jewish communities’ safety from discrimination nationwide. However, he criticized Segal’s recommendations for lacking clarity on implementation methods. The government has decided to defer its response to certain recommendations until the completion of a report on Islamophobia and a broader examination of university-related racism by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Sivaraman noted that Segal’s priorities partly align with the commission’s own anti-racism framework, which aims to tackle systemic and ad-hoc anti-racism issues, particularly those affecting Indigenous Australians. He suggested that amending the Racial Discrimination Act to require proactive measures from employers and service providers could significantly address concerns raised in Segal’s report. Sivaraman reiterated his commitment to working with Segal to determine how best to support the Jewish community against antisemitism. Meanwhile, political figures, including the prime minister Anthony Albanese and home affairs minister Tony Burke, have not yet committed to specific aspects of Segal’s plan, with Labor reportedly more inclined towards education and prevention initiatives. While the Coalition supports Segal’s plan, they too have not specified which measures they back and have called for a judicial inquiry into university-based antisemitism, stricter visa requirements, and a dedicated law enforcement task force. A report on Islamophobia, authored by Australia’s special envoy on the matter, Aftab Malik, is expected in early August, followed by the AHRC report on university racism in October.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/17/push-to-end-antisemitism-is-welcome-but-envoy-plan-raises-concerns-australian-race-discrimination-commissioner-warns-ntwnfb