Jillian Segal appointed as first Australian antisemitism envoy

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a new position aimed at combatting antisemitism, appointing Jewish communal leader Jillian Segal to the role.

Segal, a lawyer and business executive, has been appointed Special Envoy to combat antisemitism for three years. She will take up the appointment immediately, flying to Buenos Aires this week to attend a meeting of the global network of special envoys and coordinators to combat antisemitism.

In announcing the role at the Sydney Jewish Museum this morning, Albanese said the role was "an idea whose time has come".

The role was created due to the "significant increase" in antisemitism in Australia since October 7, he said. "One of the things I have found quite shocking is the lack of knowledge about antisemitism and about where it leads."

"October 7 changed our world as well – and all over the world antisemitism has become normalised. This is very dangerous for us all," Segal told the media.

"In Australia, Jewish parents are worried about sending their children to school, Jewish artists, authors and musicians have been subjected to exclusion and shadow bans, Jewish members of the LGBTQ community have been excluded, and small business owners have lost their livelihoods.

"All this effects the vibrancy and cohesion of the community more generally. This is not the Australia we want."

Segal said although "there is no single answer to the problem of antisemitism, the creation of this role shows a determination by the government to confront this evil and to ensure that it does not erode the goodness that exists in our society".