Jillian Segal

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On 9 July 2024, Segal was appointed for a term of three years Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism to the Australian Government by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. [5] [18] The appointment came after campaigning by Jewish communal organisations to create a position to fight the rise in antisemitism post 7 October 2023. [19] Segal's appointment was praised by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the representative body of Jews in Australia, [20] and received support from the federal Coalition. [21] [22] The Jewish Council of Australia, a community group formed in February 2024 critical of the State of Israel, opposed Segal's appointment. [5] [23] [24] Segal's statements and positions on antisemitism in Australia include the view that antisemitism at universities had become 'systemic'. [25]

In January 2025, Segal criticised lenient sentencing for antisemitic offences as a factor undermining efforts to address hate crimes against the Australian Jewish community, and called for mandatory sentencing for individuals attacking synagogues. Following an increase in attacks on synagogues and Jewish homes in the prior months, Segal called on Albanese and state premiers to convene a national cabinet meeting. She argued that urgent action is required to implement tougher sentencing guidelines and ensure more consistent prosecution of antisemitic hate crimes. [26] [27] In response, Albanese rejected both of Segal's requests, and stated that sentencing should be left to judges and that he would not need to convene a national cabinet as he discussed the matter with the premiers of Victoria and New South Wales. [28]

In July 2025, Segal recommended she become a monitor of media organisations, with the ability to "readily terminate" funding for public institutions, such as universities, festivals and public broadcasters, if they fail to combat antisemitism. A judicial inquiry would be established into antisemitism at universities by the start of 2026 if the envoy determined matters had remained unaddressed. [29]

Controversies

Donations to lobby group

In the 2023–24 financial year, her and her husband John Roths family trust, the Henroth Discretionary Trust, operating through a trustee company, Henroth Investments Pty Ltd, directed by Segal's husband and his brother Stanley made a AU$50,000 donation to conservative political lobby group Advance. [30] [31] This caused controversy for Segal when news website The Klaxon reported on the donation in July 2025, claiming Segal and her husband were major funders of Advance. [32] In response to this allegation, Segal denied being involved in the donation and said that she regarded the activities of her husband as separate from her own, stating that "no one would tolerate or accept my husband dictating my politics, and I certainly won't dictate his". [33]

See also

References

  1. "Incoming Passenger Card - Jillian Segal (NAA: A1197, SEABORN-SELIMOVIC)". National Archives of Australia. 28 January 1970. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Segal, Jillian". Australian Women Lawyers as Active Citizens. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Our People". Sydney Opera House. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  4. "Segal, Jillian Shirley". The Australian Women's Register. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Evans, Jake (9 July 2024). "Prime minister names Jillian Segal as first Australian anti-Semitism envoy". ABC News . Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  6. "Jillian Segal AO '73" (PDF). Kambala School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  7. Narunsky, Gareth (12 January 2015). "Passing the baton at AICC". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  8. Aharon, Yaakov (24 December 2024). "Jillian Segal's many hats: Special Envoy for Antisemitism and Israel lobbyist extraordinaire". Michael West Media . Archived from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  9. "About". General Sir John Monash Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  10. "Jillian S Segal AM". National Australia Bank. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  11. "Ms Jillian Shirley Segal". It's an Honour. 13 June 2005. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  12. "Ms Jillian Shirley Segal AM". It's an Honour. 26 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  13. "Council for the Order of Australia". The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  14. "Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia" (PDF). The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia . 26 January 2019. p. 58. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  15. 1 2 Keane, Bernard (10 September 2024). "Jillian Segal is an envoy for Israel, banking misconduct, and not much else" . Crikey . Archived from the original on 11 July 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  16. Narunksy, Gareth. "Sydney's Jewish community comes together in solidarity". Australian Jewish News. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  17. "'Our world has changed': Thousands gather in Sydney for Israel vigil". SBS News. AAP. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  18. Visontay, Elias and Wind, Emily (9 July 2024). "'A long way to go' on combating domestic violence, PM says – as it happened". The Guardian . Prime minister announces special envoy on antisemitism. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  19. Visontay, Michael (9 July 2024). "Jillian Segal appointed as first Australian antisemitism envoy". The Jewish Independent . Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  20. "Australia appoints special envoy to combat anti-Semitism". Al Jazeera . 9 July 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  21. Sakkal, Paul (9 July 2024). "Albanese shocked by ignorance of antisemitism". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  22. Kelly, Cait and Wind, Emily (10 July 2024). "Greens and academics criticise appointment of antisemitism envoy – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  23. Hill, Bruce (18 July 2024). "Fringe group labels Jillian Segal pro-war". Australian Jewish News . Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  24. Wedesweiler, Madeleine (9 July 2024). "Anthony Albanese announces antisemitism envoy, says Jewish people 'do not feel safe'". SBS News. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  25. Kolieb, Sharyn (12 September 2024). "Special envoy: Antisemitism at universities 'systemic'". Australian Jewish News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  26. Demetriadi, Alexi and Farmakis, Bianca (15 January 2025). "'Democracy is at stake': SOS from Anthony Albanese's anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal". The Australian . Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  27. Wong, Kat and Mitchell, Alex (15 January 2025). "Calls to consider jail time as anti-Semitism grows". The Canberra Times . Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  28. Denholm, Matthew (15 January 2025). "PM rejects envoy Jillian Segal's call on synagogues, sentencing". The Australian. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  29. Evans, Jake (10 July 2025). "Antisemitism plan would strip funding from unis, arts events who fail to fight Jewish hate". ABC News . Archived from the original on 10 July 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  30. Wedesweiler, Madeleine (13 July 2025). "Antisemitism envoy denies involvement in husband's trust donation to anti-immigrant group". SBS News. Archived from the original on 13 July 2025. Australia's antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal said she had no involvement in her husband's $50,000 donation to a far-right anti-immigrant lobby group
  31. Butler, Josh (14 July 2025). "Antisemitism envoy denies involvement in major donation by husband's company to rightwing group Advance". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  32. Klan, Anthony (12 July 2025). "Jillian Segal and husband funding far-right group "Advance"". The Klaxon. Archived from the original on 12 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  33. Johnson, Paul (14 July 2025). "Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says he believes antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal did not know husband's trust donated to Advance". 7.30 . Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025 via ABC News. "No one would tolerate or accept my husband dictating my politics, and I certainly won't dictate his," Ms Segal told SBS on Sunday.
Jillian Segal
AO
1st Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia
Assumed office
9 July 2024