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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Louise Adler

The special envoy’s plan is the latest push to weaponise antisemitism in Australia, as a relentless campaign pays off

Jillian Segal
‘The appointment of Jillian Segal to special envoy to combat antisemitism, routinely described as an “eminent corporate lawyer”, does not seem to bring scholarly expertise to the role’. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

One must acknowledge the remarkably effective Jewish community organisations in Australia behind the latest antisemitism report. Collectively, with their News Ltd megaphone, they have successfully badgered the government of the day, cowed the ABC, intimidated vice-chancellors and threatened to defund arts organisations.

With the ability to garner prime ministerial dinners, a battalion of lobbyists has gained access to editors, duchessed willingly seduced journalists keen to enjoy junkets and corralled more than 500 captains of industry to subscribe to full-page ads against antisemitism and thereby blurring political argument with prejudice and bias. It is no surprise that this relentless propaganda effort has paid off.

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