NZ Jewish Leaders Want Hate Speech Laws Mirroring Australia’s Proposed Reforms

Australia’s plan, devised by anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal, proposes her office ’monitor' media coverage.

Protestors hold placards and flags during a rally against antisemitism at The Domain on February 18, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. In response to a nearly 738% surge in reported antisemitic incidents in Australia, The Never Again Is Now movement is mobilising a huge number of people across Australia, kicking off in Sydney, with an estimated 10,000 people in attendance, organisers said. Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The new tougher anti-Semitism laws proposed for Australia have inspired two Jewish lobby groups in New Zealand to call for similar action.

The New Zealand Jewish Council and the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand are pushing their government to “urgently develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to combat anti-Semitism, following the bold and principled leadership demonstrated by the Australian government.”