Ambassador Urges Canberra to Adopt Broader Definition of Anti-Semitism

Maimon says adopting IHRA definition is vital to expose harmful stereotypes, double standards and rising new forms of anti-Semitic prejudice.

A contractor cleans anti-Israel graffiti on Magney St, Woollahra in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 11, 2024. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon has called on the federal government to formally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism.

In a post on social media platform X, Maimon said embracing the IHRA definition was “essential” to identifying and addressing modern-day anti-Semitism.

“It provides a framework that recognises harmful stereotypes, double standards, and new forms of prejudice,” he wrote.

“No other definition so clearly ensures that contemporary anti-Semitism is named, understood and confronted wherever it arises.”

The IHRA’s 2016 definition describes anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” including “rhetorical and physical manifestations … directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, as well as Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The ambassador’s remarks come as debate intensifies over a new government-commissioned plan to combat anti-Semitism, authored by Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal.

Jewish Voices of Inner Sydney released a statement expressing concern over one of its proposals—to incorporate the IHRA definition into Australian policy.

They also criticised Segal’s suggested powers to defund universities and cultural bodies accused of fostering anti-Semitism.

The group argued Segal had failed to provide clear evidence of Australians being misled by distorted narratives about Israel.

“It seems clear that Segal feels that reporting and discussion that is critical of Israel is inherently biased against Israel,” the statement read.

Civil Liberties Advocates Warn of Overreach

The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL) also voiced strong reservations, saying several of Segal’s recommendations risk infringing on basic freedoms.

Among the 49 proposals are calls to tighten hate speech laws, address the role of AI in spreading anti-Semitic content, and link public funding to adherence with anti-discrimination benchmarks.

NSWCCL President Timothy Roberts warned these measures could restrict lawful protest and dissent, especially where criticism of Israel is involved.

“Governments across Australia are moving to pass laws and policies repressing legitimate political speech to silence protest and prevent assembly,” he told The Guardian.

“This report, made by an unelected envoy, contains many recommendations that fail to properly acknowledge this context … If the government does not address these concerns, our civil liberties will be undermined, and our community further divided.”

Segal Defends Strategy as Balanced and Urgent

Segal has defended the plan, describing it as a comprehensive societal response to a complex problem.

“The document is a whole-of-society document which focuses on educating people about what anti-Semitism is,” she told ABC Radio.

She added that universities in particular had become “hot spots” requiring targeted intervention.

Her proposals include a “report card” to monitor how tertiary institutions respond to anti-Semitic incidents and a review into the role of foreign financial influences on campus activity. She also recommended a potential judicial inquiry by 2026.

Segal’s plan suggests withholding or cutting funding from arts organisations, broadcasters, and media outlets that promote or allow anti-Semitic conduct. It also calls for efforts to ensure that reporting is “accurate, fair and responsible” when covering Jewish issues or events involving Israel.