Jillian Segal is quoted in the article (“Progressive critics spur new wave of antisemitism: Segal”, October 30) as saying some “well-intended people who are concerned about the policies of the state of Israel and feel critical of them transfer that criticism to Jewish members of society in Australia”.
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who → quote → Australia
That statement is a generalisation and requires further explanation.
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statement → require → explanation
I, for one, criticise the Israeli government but do not transfer this to Jewish members of the Australian community.
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I → criticise → community
Many other Australian citizens feel the same way.
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citizens → feel → ?
Many Australian Jews criticise the Israeli government and clearly do not transfer their criticism to the Australian Jewish community.
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Jews → criticise → community
Some travelled to Israel recently to vote against the current Israel government!
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Some → travel → government
I have the right, as an Australian citizen, to criticise the Israeli government and not to be criticised for it.
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I → have → it
Does Jillian Segal include in her criticism of “progressives motivated by social justice” all those Jewish people who have voiced their abhorrence of the current policies of the Israeli government?
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who → include → government
She should not equate opposition to Netanyahu’s abuse of Palestinians, even to the extent of his absolute denial of the right to a separate state, with antisemitism.
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She → equate → antisemitism
We can be critical of a nation’s policies and still respect the citizens of that country.
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We → respect → country
That is how many of us see the current situation in Israel.
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many → see → Israel
Doug Hewitt, Hamilton
Jillian Segal’s updated road map, ASECA Priorities, represents an unacceptable overreach into Australia’s public institutions.
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map → update → institutions
By singling out progressives, human rights advocates, public schools, universities and broadcasters for “modern progressive antisemitism”, the report risks weaponising legitimate concern for human rights to stifle political speech.
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report → single → speech
Demanding that universities, arts bodies and media outlets risk losing public funding or face independent oversight panels if they fail to align with a specific ideological filter is dangerous policy.
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they → demand → filter
Public institutions must remain independent.
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institutions → remain → ?
Subordinating them to partisan criteria undermines the very fabric of our multicultural democracy.
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Subordinating → subordinate → democracy
In a successful multicultural society, social cohesion relies on open debate, shared values and fair application of the law – not on enforcing ideological conformity or policing domestic criticism of foreign governments.
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cohesion → rely → governments
It has little to do with political preferences but is more about the fact that treating Jews, based on their religious identity, with prejudice and hostility or discrimination goes against the basic longstanding human or social values of fairness, inclusiveness and empathy.
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treating → have → fairness
I look forward to reading the empirical evidence for Jillian Segal’s claim that those she labels “progressive” critics of Israel or Netanyahu have spurred (is that “caused”?) anti-Jewish violence or discrimination.
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that → look → violence
Reviewing the book On Antisemitism: A Word in History in The New York Review of Books recently, Jewish scholar Omer Bartov concluded: “Because the aim of today’s surging accusations of antisemitism is not to combat the actual phenomenon but to suppress anti-Zionism or criticism of Israel, the ‘new right’ has been handed a convenient opening.”
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right → review → opening
The university is regarded as “progressive”, as are all universities committed to scholarship.
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universities → regard → scholarship
I trust that Segal has taken a historically and conceptually sophisticated approach commensurate with Australian academic standards when composing her report.
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Segal → trust → report
Philip Bell, Bronte
I suspect I might be one of the social-justice-minded progressives that Jillian Segal accuses of antisemitism.
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Segal → suspect → antisemitism
I am so utterly hurt by this because I try to keep a balanced view, but how can I do that with what has happened in Gaza and continues today in the West Bank?
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what → hurt → Bank
How can I not be angry when I am continually told I am something that I am not?
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I → tell → ?
When I watch and read about the Holocaust do my tears count for nothing.
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tears → watch → nothing
Following ASIO’s findings linking the Islamic Republic to two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, Australia expelled its ambassador.
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Australia → follow → ambassador
Yet the embassy in Canberra remains open.
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embassy → remain → Canberra
During Senate estimates, Senator Paterson asked Foreign Minister Wong whether consular convenience should outweigh the safety of Iranian Australians.
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convenience → ask → Australians
Wong said their safety was always front of mind, and that decisions would be guided by security agencies.
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decisions → say → agencies
That leaves unanswered why maintaining the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic presence remains justified following Australia’s own security findings.
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maintaining → leave → findings
I recently spoke on ABC’s 7.30 about threats I received after publicly criticising the Islamic Republic.
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I → speak → Republic
I reported them to the Australian Federal Police.
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I → report → Police
I have no evidence linking those threats to the embassy, but they highlight the broader risk of transnational repression that the government has already acknowledged.
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government → have → that
Iranian Australians have legitimate consular needs, which should not be dismissed.
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which → have → needs
Alternative arrangements, including through third countries, deserve serious examination.
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arrangements → include → examination
Having publicly attributed attacks to the Islamic Republic and expelled its ambassador, Australia should close the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Canberra while ensuring access to essential consular services.
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Australia → attribute → services
The government owes Australians a clear explanation of why the embassy remains open.
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embassy → owe → explanation
Saeid Zand, Director, Iranian-Australian Public Affairs Committee
A stolen election?
The extraordinary irony is that Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot need the Palestinian bloc to become prime minister (“It’s deadlock in the Israeli election.
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It → steal → election
Here’s how it could unfold”, October 30).
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it → ’ → ?
…and 89 more, not listed.
The Aporia
