Jillian Segal named as first Envoy to Combat Antisemitism

The Prime Minister has appointed a dedicated anti-semitism envoy in response to a spike of attacks against Jewish people in Australia.

Transcript

00:00So, we've heard today from the Prime Minister that Sydney lawyer and business executive

00:07Gillian Siegel has been named as the new anti-Semitism envoy.

00:13This is a special position that's been created in light of a significant rise in anti-Semitism

00:20post the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October last year.

00:25This role will see Ms Siegel focus on community engagement and trying to increase the knowledge

00:34of what is and isn't acceptable and try and remove some of the levels of anti-Semitism

00:42that we have seen in Australia as a result of this.

00:46She says that this appointment is for three years and she says that much of the anti-Semitic

00:52content that's being pushed out in the community and some of the interactions that she's had

00:58are based on misinformation and they also undermine the fabric of social cohesion.

01:04Here's what she had to say.

01:06The creation of this role shows a determination by the government to confront this evil and

01:12to ensure that it does not erode the goodness that exists in our society.

01:19This is a position that has been stood up in response to that rise in anti-Semitic behaviour

01:26in Australia with concerns from the Jewish community and a number of instances of protests

01:34and even MPs' offices being targeted.

01:37The Prime Minister says it makes clear that we can't take social cohesion for granted in Australia.

01:45It has been a reminder over recent months that we just can't take that respect and social

01:52cohesion for granted.

01:54We need to nourish it, we need to cherish it, we need to celebrate it and we need to

01:59support it and that's what this role will do.

02:04So Nicole, are there any plans for a similar role to represent Muslim communities?

02:09There are.

02:10The Prime Minister is saying that there will soon be an announcement about a similar role,

02:15a special envoy, this time to target Islamophobia in the community with that also being a significant

02:23issue in light of the escalation of this conflict in the Middle East.

02:28We're yet to hear the details about that or for sure who it will be and when that will

02:33be announced but the Prime Minister committing to that as well.

02:37This is of course an area where the government is trying to balance calls for action from

02:43both sides with not being seen or not siding particularly with one over the other so a

02:49delicate balance for the government but they've committed to standing up an envoy to represent

02:55and combat Islamophobia as well.