Fears doctors criticising Israel may be silenced as health watchdog adopts contested antisemitism definition | Health
Australia’s health watchdog has adopted a controversial definition of antisemitism to guide its regulatory work.
While the move was welcomed by the country’s prominent Jewish community, the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) warned it could silence health professionals from criticizing Israel’s human rights record.
One joint statement The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism for its “regulatory work”, the federal government’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, announced on Wednesday.
IHRA definition He says antisemitism is “a specific perception of Jews that can be expressed as hatred towards Jews.” This is accompanied by illustrative examples; Opponents argue this means it can be used to conflate antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israel.
The definition was also approved by the federal government and the royal commission into antisemitism, which was launched in the wake of the Bondi terror attack in which 15 people were killed at the Hanukkah event last December.
Justin Untersteiner, Ahpra’s chief executive, said antisemitism costs lives and “has no place in healthcare”.
“Ahpra is committed to working with the Special Envoy and partners to eliminate antisemitism from the healthcare system, because everyone should feel safe accessing care,” he said in a statement.
“Ahpra has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as a reference tool, supported by the Special Envoy’s handbook, to promote a consistent understanding of antisemitism in its contemporary forms in our editing work.”
On Thursday, Apan said Ahpra’s announcement put healthcare workers at risk of being suspended or banned due to “horrible and frustrating complaints” that silenced political expression about Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
It was stated that since October 2023, healthcare professionals reported that they “fear the professional consequences of speaking publicly about Gaza and Palestine.”
“Palestinian healthcare workers have also witnessed the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, the killing of thousands of healthcare workers and patients, and increasing hostility towards those defending Palestinian human rights in Australia,” the statement said.
Last year Guardian Australia reported allegations by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners that GPs were subject to frivolous or annoying complaints to the health regulator about social media posts opposing Israel’s war in Gaza.
AHPRA is responsible for investigating complaints made about registered healthcare professionals.
Untersteiner said Ahpra was reviewing its ever-frustrating reporting framework due to concerns about “weaponizing the reporting process.”
The statement said Ahpra established an advisory panel of practitioners to improve the process and “strengthen safeguards.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jews (ECAJ), the mouthpiece of the peak Jewish community, told Guardian Australia it welcomed Ahpra’s move. The ECAJ had previously endorsed the definition as “a practical, internationally recognized tool for detecting and combating antisemitism.”
Segal praised Ahpra’s move to adopt the definition. In his 2025 report on tackling antisemitism, Segal argued that all levels of government, public authorities and regulators should adopt the IHRA definition to provide a “unified framework” for monitoring and responding to antisemitic incidents.
Last month the ABC and SBS confirmed they would not adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism used by the royal commission, arguing that they should use their own definition for editorial independence.
Reports of anti-Semitic, anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic incidents have been increasing in Australia since the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023. Hamas militants killed nearly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, leading to Israel’s military occupation of Gaza, in which it is estimated that more than 75,000 Palestinians were killed.
An independent commission of inquiry established by the United Nations last year described Israel’s war in Gaza as genocide. Israel “categorically rejected” the report.
