A powerful recommendation from Australia’s antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal could see the ABC stripped of public funding if it fails to act on antisemitic narratives.

Segal delivered her major report on Thursday, one year after her appointment as the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. The report warns that antisemitism in Australia has “reached a tipping point that threatens social harmony, undermines trust in institutions and marginalises Jewish Australian citizens”.

A key recommendation calls for cultural institutions — including public broadcasters — to be held accountable for content that may promote or enable antisemitism.

“Culture shapes perception,” the report states. “Publicly funded institutions like arts festivals, galleries and public broadcasters must uphold antidiscrimination values and be accountable for the narratives they promote.”

The report urges the federal government to include provisions in funding agreements allowing funding to be cut “where organisations or individuals engage in or facilitate antisemitism”.

Australian taxpayer-funded antisemitism.

The ABC is promoting antisemitc boycotts. These boycotts have a long and ugly history and eventually saw goons standing outside Jewish shops across Germany.

Who in ABC approved this divisive hate?

They need to be out of a job… pic.twitter.com/k0BQm0wrYh

— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) December 20, 2023

This recommendation could directly affect the ABC, which has faced criticism over its coverage of Israel and Gaza since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. Former ABC director Joe Gersh said in February that the broadcaster was “part of the problem” regarding rising antisemitism.

The ABC has issued multiple corrections over misleading content, including repeating a claim that 14,000 babies in Gaza could die of starvation within 48 hours — a statement later corrected by the BBC as a misinterpretation of UN data.

The person responsible for this Jew-hating material is often invited as a guest on ABC as an expert against antisemitism

Let that sink in pic.twitter.com/itmLtRqmw9

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) January 25, 2025

In another incident, the ABC aired footage from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla showing “IOF” — “Israeli Occupation Forces” — a term used by anti-Israel activists. The broadcaster later apologised and issued a correction.

Segal’s recommendations also target universities, including Sydney University and RMIT, where harassment, antisemitic graffiti and threats have been reported.

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