10-07-2025
Sharri Markson: Without endorsing antisemitism report's recommendations, Albanese's words are 'smoke and mirrors'
The landmark antisemitism report from special envoy, Jillian Segal, has recommended stripping funding from universities which spread antisemitism and working with the public broadcasters to promote social cohesion.
It has nine of the 15 recommendations from our Sky News Antisemitism Summit including screening immigrants for antisemitic views, stripping arts bodies and festivals of government grants if they condone hate and embedding antisemitism in the school curriculum.
Albanese welcomed the report and said he would engage with it - but he stopped short of endorsing it.
In fact, he did not explicitly support a single recommendation, and he brushed off questions about what he'll commit to.
Albanese would only say that he'd consider them carefully.
'We'll now carefully consider the report recommendations," he said.
"There's a number of things in here that we're doing. There's a number of things that can be implemented quickly. There are a number of things that will require work over a period of time.'
But he refused to say what the "things" are that could be implemented quickly.
His comments are, at least, an improvement from his position after our Antisemitism Summit when he refused to consider any of the meaningful recommendations we put forward.
Now he officially has to consider them.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was also specifically asked if these recommendations would be put in place within the year - and he was noncommittal.
He said Creative Australia already took antisemitism into account when awarding grants.
This can't possibly be true. Many organisations that employ hate preachers continue to receive ongoing funding.
It's deeply concerning if Burke's attitude is that they're already doing this.
Jewish leaders today, including Alex Ryvchin, Colin Rubenstein and Jeremy Leibler have all said that Segal's report needs to be met with comprehensive action and enforcement.
Ryvchin said it's critical that Albanese expresses whole-hearted support for the plan.
"The Prime Minister should say this is the plan to rescue our country from the scourge of racism directed at Jewish Australians," he said.
And that's exactly right. Albanese needs to officially endorse this report so that university leaders, state governments and cultural institutions get on board and make the necessary changes.
The Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon echoed this sentiment, saying "the real test now lies in swift and effective implementation.'
But there were some positives from today's press conference.
Albanese and Burke spoke more forcefully about antisemitism than in the past.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the pro-Palestinian protesters who crashed the Melbourne restaurant on Friday night, describing it as criminal behaviour.
He said he "saw on the ABC the other night a woman who participated in the trashing and violence that occurred at the restaurant in Melbourne, justifying that, justifying it. There is no justification for that whatsoever. And what's more, the idea that somehow the cause of justice for Palestinians is advanced by behaviour like that is not only delusional, it is destructive.'
Burke spoke strongly about the prejudice faced by Jewish Australians in society.
'We want people to be safe and to feel safe," he said.
"Being safe and feeling safe is something which antisemitism flies in the face of. And while we might think of this only in terms of some of the more dramatic, violent incidents which we've seen, feeling safe and being safe goes deeper than that.'
The Jewish community is sceptical about why the Albanese Government seems to be only considering action now, 21 months after the racism exploded in the wake of Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.
There was only one decent question at today's press conference and it came from the Jewish News journalist Carly Adno - who raised this point precisely.
She asked: "Prime Minister, the Jewish community has been experiencing these antisemitic attacks for close to two years now. Why is it that it took another arson attack on the synagogues to adopt some of these?"
Albanese was defensive. "Well, it didn't, is the answer to that. It didn't."
But Adno is correct.
Albanese has done nothing but sit back and watch as hatred festered under his leadership.
He's made our country a dangerous and unsafe place, and it's utterly unforgivable.
He needs to categorically adopt Segal's strong plan, which draws on nine of the 15 recommendations from our Sky News Antisemitism Summit.
They include: A permanent policing cooperation between state and federal governments to investigate threats and incidents, and links to terrorism. Embedding Holocaust and antisemitism education in the school curriculum. A judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campus. The investigation and disclosure of foreign funding to universities, which might drive extremist ideologies. Government grants to festivals and cultural institutions have terms of conditions that the recipient does not promote, facilitate or deal effectively with hate and anti-semitism. Remove deductible gift recipient status from any charitable institution which promotes speakers or engages in conduct that promotes antisemitism. Screen visa applicants for antisemitic views or affiliations and ensure the Migration Act effectively facilitates visa refusals or cancellations for antisemitic conduct and rhetoric. Antisemitism training to those involved in processing visa applications to be able to assess antisemitism. Encourage Australian cultural institutions to re-engage with Jewish creatives and members of the Jewish community.
Jillian Segal's report also states that if threats escalate, she'd recommend emergency coordination measures, including a standing joint task force and potential national security declarations.
That was the first recommendation from our summit - to declare a national emergency and establish a joint counter-terrorism taskforce to mobilise all relevant agencies in the fight against antisemitism before we have a major terror attack in this country.
But Segal's report goes further with bold, new ideas including: Work with platforms to reduce the presence or influence of 'bots' that deliberately sow social discord and to reduce the reach of those who peddle hate behind a veil of anonymity. The Envoy Office will work with the publicly funded broadcasters to encourage them to develop programs that add to social cohesion. Withholding government funding from universities, programs or individuals within universities that facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism.
This final measure has already been implemented by United States President Donald Trump. He has famously stripped funding from Harvard University.
I fully support this idea but it's hard to imagine the Prime Minister committing to such a courageous idea.
Since October 2023, Albanese has not lifted a finger to deal with the rampant antisemitism at campuses. He's hardly going to suddenly strip the universities of funding over antisemitism.
My only criticism with the report is that Segal has worded many recommendations so that the onus is on her to implement them, rather than state and federal government or relevant institutions.
For example, she puts the onus on herself to solve the many problems, like working with social media companies on reform.
She could have simply outlined the reform that's needed in the social media space and then allowed the relevant minister to take charge and deal with the companies.
It's objectively too much work for one individual. Efforts to combat antisemitism would be more successful if the objectives were not the sole responsibility of the envoy or Jewish groups to implement.
Yes, it's Segal's report, but Albanese says she's his adviser on antisemitism and this is the blueprint or action plan the Federal Government is working from, so there should be more onus on specifically what it can do independently of her personal involvement. Having too much on her plate will delay the serious reform that's needed right now.
This is an urgent crisis and we need immediate action.
I'm also concerned the Prime Minister will use this report as cover.
When the next violent attack happens, as we know it will, Albanese will simply say he's working with the envoy on the antisemitism action plan.
And right now, it's all smoke and mirrors.
He has had Segal's report in his possession for a full week prior to the press conference, yet he still couldn't bring himself to commit to a single idea in it.
