Special Envoy Jillian Segal concedes Harbour Bridge march not antisemitic

Antisemitism Ambassador Jillian Segal has backtracked on claims that the Sydney Harbor Bridge protests were antisemitic. Stephanie Tran Reports on antisemitism meeting.

Australia’s Special Envoy to Counter Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, has come under fire following a Victorian local government forum held in conjunction with the US-based Movement to Counter Antisemitism (CAM), with attendees questioning the organisation’s influence and pressure on councils to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

The IHRA’s definition conflates criticism of the state of Israel with antisemitism.

The Victorian Local Government Forum on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, held at Glen Eira City Council, brought together councilors and mayors from across the state as part of a wider CAM campaign to engage with local governments.

The event forms part of the group’s wider strategy to target local government leaders. In September last year CAM hosted the Australian Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism on the Gold Coast and received support from figures across the political spectrum.

Messages supporting the summit were sent by deputy prime minister Richard Marles, opposition leader Sussan Ley and former prime minister Julia Gillard.

Speakers and supporters at the summit included human rights commissioner Lorraine Finlay, UNSW chancellor David Gonski and Segal himself. The initiative has also received support from federal local government minister Kristy McBain and her New South Wales counterpart Ron Hoenig.

One of the most alarming features of the summit was a CAM report cataloging supposedly “anti-Semitic” symbols. The list included the keffiyeh scarf and the flag itself, as well as the watermelon, which was long used as a secret emblem of Palestinian solidarity when the flag was banned.

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US advocacy group challenges IHRA definition

CAM describes itself as a coalition of more than 850 organizations and millions of activists working to combat antisemitism globally. The group has focused much of its advocacy on encouraging governments and institutions to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, a framework that deliberately equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

The organization has previously been reported to have received support from wealthy US donors and conservative political networks.

MWM He asked Glen Eira Council if CAM had provided funding for the event. “We paid for the event ourselves using expenditures in the 2025-26 operating budget adopted by the Council. No other organization contributed financially,” they said.

They did not respond to follow-up questions about how much the council spent on the event or the role of CAM and ASECA in organizing the event.

According to the correspondence he saw MWM“While Councilors approve the general budget, they do not become involved in the operational expenditure of activities carried out by the Council”.

Segal admits Bridge protest was not anti-Semitic

During the forum, Segal also described the Bondi terrorist attack, as well as the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House protests, as examples of antisemitism.

When asked why he believed the Harbor Bridge protest was antisemitic, Segal acknowledged that the protest itself was not antisemitic but that it undermined “social harmony.”

“I’m not saying this is antisemitic,” he said.

“But this goes against what we want in our country and the building of social harmony.”

Some participants criticized comparisons made between protest activities and violent incidents during the discussion.

Rebecca Parker, a designer and Jewish resident of the city of Port Phillip whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, said she was concerned about how the events were framed.

“I was shocked when I heard [Segal] Use two examples of peaceful protests alongside the horrific violent extremist attack in Bondi,” Parker said.

“I think drawing parallels between these very different types of events is extremely dangerous and only makes Jewish people feel unnecessarily insecure.”

Parker also criticized efforts to encourage local councils to adopt the IHRA definition.

“It was clear from his speech that he wanted to be the arbiter of what was considered antisemitic and what wasn’t,” he said.

Call for a broader approach against racism

Another participant, Veronica Sherman, said she was confused by the claim that the Sydney Harbor Bridge protest could be interpreted as antisemitic.

“I was there carrying a sign saying I was Jewish, and I was absolutely welcomed with open arms,” Sherman said.

“I was hugged and thanked. There were also people who cried with me.”

Sherman also questioned the absence of progressive Jewish organizations from the event.

“I’m disappointed that the Jewish Council of Australia was never invited. There doesn’t seem to be any voice other than the Zionist Jewish voice,” he said.

He also expressed concerns about the influence of overseas organizations in Australian public policy debates.

“Australians are not worried enough about foreign interference,” Sherman said. “This is a foreign organization paying to have a voice and influence on local councils.”

Another attendee, Jen Weinstein, said anti-Semitism should be addressed along with other forms of racism.

“Racism must be addressed holistically. When we strengthen protections across society, everyone benefits, including Australian Jews,” Weinstein said.

“The most effective way to tackle antisemitism in Australia is for us to tackle all racism in the same way, by implementing our existing National Anti-Racism Framework.”

Greater scrutiny at the ambassador’s office

The forum comes at a time when Segal’s office is under greater scrutiny. Earlier this month, documents obtained under freedom of information laws revealed that Segal handpicked attorney Greg Craven to oversee a controversial “college report card” that evaluated how institutions responded to complaints of antisemitism.

The documents showed that a number of consultancy and law firms had refused to bid on the tender process before Craven was approached to lead the review.

The ambassador’s office (ASECA) declined to respond to questions about conflicts of interest.

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