Due to increasing fear that the ongoing conflict in Gaza is bound to affect the relations of the Australian community, the federal government has now employed the services of a special envoy in combating anti-semitism.
Jill, a successful Jewish lawyer and a businesswoman, has been appointed to consult with the Jewish community, the general population, certain legal professionals specializing in discrimination cases, and the government to discern the best way to deal with the increasing Jewish hate.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australians are worried about the conflict but advised everyone to stand together. Few Australians can remain indifferent to this conflict, and a considerable number of people suffer, he continued; Australians should not be divided during such moments.
The appointment comes as recent data from the Jewish Community Council of Australia revealed that there has been a seven-fold rise in the number of anti-Jewish attacks during the weeks following the exacerbation of the Gaza conflict. Segal said it is now okay to speak anti-Semitic things, and the Jewish community is justified to be fearful.
While this has been received positively by some, the Jewish Council of Australia, which has strongly condemned actions by Israel, stated the opposite view on Segal based on his record of lobbying on Israel’s behalf.
Similarly, as the government also plans to appoint a minister to fight against Islamophobia, then the appointment of the anti-Semitism envoy shows an empathetic position of tackling the issue of religious hatred while maintaining the unity of a divided society at a time of hate crime.
