On October 30, Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism released a 40-page update to Australia's national plan for combatting antisemitism. The document titled Combatting Antisemitism: Special Envoy's Priorities (full text), explains the sources, drivers and facilitators of antisemitism as well as discussing in depth the next steps to be taken. The press release announcing the new report says that the report "builds on the Plan the Australian Government adopted in full after the Bondi terror attack and responds to further signs that Australia’s social fabric is fraying." The press release concisely summarizes priorities for the next phase as follows:
- Education, codes of conduct and complaints. Governments, businesses, community groups, sporting bodies, arts organisations and universities to educate their people and to adapt their codes of conduct and complaints processes to incorporate antisemitism.
- Public money. Taxpayer-funded organisations and grants must not be used to promote, facilitate or accept antisemitism, across the arts, sport and university research, backed by enforceable funding conditions.
- Public service. Continued collaboration on training for public servants.
- Universities. Every university to adopt and operationalise a definition of antisemitism in line with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) and TEQSA’s Statement of Regulatory Expectations.
- Schools. A fully funded national roll-out of the UNESCO program for teachers and students, following evaluation of the current trial.
- Health. A national Healthcare Antisemitism Taskforce and continued engagement with Ahpra, so every patient can trust their care and Jewish practitioners are protected from harassment and vexatious complaints.
- Arts. Cultural institutions to adopt codes of conduct to make cultural spaces safe for all and for initiatives to be trialled to re-engage doxxed or otherwise excluded Jewish creatives and artists into the broader Australian arts sector.
- The law. Continual review and reform by Commonwealth, state and territory governments of gaps in the legislative framework, and measures to ensure the laws are contemporary and effectively enforced.
- Media. An independent ombudsman for Australia’s public broadcasters to ensure they are held accountable to their own stated standards of accuracy and impartiality.
