Antisemitism envoy proposes external ombudsman to oversee ABC and SBS Gaza coverage
Jillian Segal's updated plan would create independent oversight of the public broadcasters' Middle East reporting and screen visa applicants for antisemitic views.
At a glance
- Australia's antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal has proposed an external independent ombudsman to monitor ABC and SBS coverage of Gaza.
- The updated plan would screen all visa applicants for the risk of antisemitic views and add enforceable conditions to arts and academic grants.
- ABC and SBS have rejected external oversight, and the Jewish Council of Australia called the plan "Trumpian" and a threat to free speech.
Jillian Segal, the federal government's special envoy to combat antisemitism, has proposed an "external independent ombudsman" to monitor ABC and SBS coverage of the war in Gaza, alongside screening all visa applicants for "the risk of holding antisemitic views". The proposals appear in an updated plan released on Friday.
Ombudsman proposal
Segal said Australia's two public broadcasters should be subject to greater oversight. She wrote that concerns about "subjective, inaccurate and disproportionate reporting" meant it would be in the public interest for their coverage and approach to undergo more detailed analysis and independent review. The plan suggests a government-appointed panel review past reporting, and that responsibility be transferred from the broadcasters' own ombudsmen to an external one, consistent with sectors such as telecommunications and banking. The broadcasters have rejected calls for external oversight.
Segal wrote that many in the Jewish community feared "one-directional" coverage could contribute to a negative and even hostile view of Israel's supporters. She said Jewish Australians had reported being abused, harassed and accused of being "baby killers" or supporters of "genocide" simply for their belief in Israel's right to exist, and that the perceived link between coverage and hostility was itself a matter of public importance.
Visa screening and funding conditions
The report proposes that everyone applying for an Australian visa be assessed for the risk of holding antisemitic views, with advice from security agencies informing the classification of risk for different jurisdictions. Segal wrote that it "would be disingenuous not to acknowledge that a minority of migrants bring to Australia ingrained antisemitic views", often a result of migrating from environments where antisemitism is commonplace.
The plan also proposes enforceable conditions on arts organisations and academics. Publicly funded arts bodies could have grants terminated if they promoted antisemitism, and grant authorities could end funding where a recipient engaged in antisemitic speech or conduct. Segal said the proposals were "not about silencing criticism of Israel".
Criticism
The report argues that "modern 'progressive' antisemitism" is the most pervasive form of the prejudice in Australia. Segal said Islamic extremism and far-left and far-right antisemitism were also prevalent, but that the form leaving Jewish Australians increasingly anxious had "taken root in influential institutions".
The progressive Jewish Council of Australia criticised the plan as "Trumpian" and a "dangerous and ideologically driven roadmap that threatens freedom of speech, academic freedom and democratic rights". Bart Shteinman, an executive officer at the council, said it sought "unprecedented oversight" over media, the arts and other organisations.
The plan follows Segal's appearance before Senate estimates this week, where she said she held concerns about the "tone [and] the frequency of reporting about Gaza from the ABC". The royal commission into antisemitism was established after the Bondi beach massacre in December, when 15 people were killed during a Hanukah celebration. A United Nations spokesperson has said the Gaza Ministry of Health is a source the UN and others often cite, and that independent validation of subsets of its data found no significant discrepancies.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- What has Australia's antisemitism envoy proposed for the ABC and SBS?
- Jillian Segal proposed an external independent ombudsman to review the public broadcasters' coverage of the war in Gaza, with responsibilities possibly transferred from their own ombudsmen.
- What does the plan say about visa applicants?
- It proposes that all visa applicants be assessed for the risk of holding antisemitic views, with advice from security agencies informing the classification of risk for different jurisdictions.
- Who criticised Jillian Segal's plan?
- The progressive Jewish Council of Australia called it "Trumpian" and said it threatens freedom of speech and academic freedom. Executive officer Bart Shteinman said it sought unprecedented oversight of media and the arts.
