Peak Jewish body calls Labor’s plan to combat antisemitism an essential ‘first step’ but some warn it risks division

Anthony Albanese promised to crack down on hate speech and religious preachers who incite violence and said the government would adopt 13 recommendations from the antisemitism envoy’s July report. Photograph: Dominic Giannini/AAP

Australia’s peak Jewish body has labelled the Albanese government’s plan to combat antisemitism in response to the Bondi beach terror attack an essential “first step”, but some groups have warned the measures will be used as a political weapon to further divide communities.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) said the prime minister’s announcement on Thursday “can only be regarded as a first step, but it is an essential one”, but remained critical of the government for not acting sooner.