Australia Appoints Special Envoy to Address Anti-Semitism and Anti-Islam Issues

The Australian government is appointing a special envoy to address the rising anti-Semitism and conflicts between anti-Islamic sentiments within the country following the Gaza war.

Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, and Gillian Segal, appointed as the Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism [EPA=Yonhap News]

On the 9th (local time), the US CNN reported that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed a special envoy to prevent social division related to the war occurring in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. This is the first time the Australian government has appointed a special envoy regarding this issue.

Gillian Siegel, a Jewish lawyer appointed as the special envoy to respond to anti-Semitism, plans to discuss with Jewish Australians, experts, and communities to find ways to address anti-Semitic issues.

The Australian government will also soon appoint a special envoy to work with the Islamic community to resolve Islamophobia and promote social integration.

Prime Minister Albanese stated, "The war between Israel and Hamas has brought great sorrow to the Jewish and Islamic communities in Australia," adding, "Australians do not want the conflict to continue on Australian soil."

He continued, "I spoke with members of the Jewish community in Melbourne, and they were concerned about their children wearing school uniforms, feeling unsafe," and said, "This is an unacceptable situation."

Currently, protests opposing the Gaza Strip war continue in Australia. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) reported that anti-Semitic incidents surged in Australia between October and November last year, when the Gaza Strip war broke out.

This year, protests opposing Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza have continued, including incidents such as the breaking of a glass window at a Jewish parliamentarian's office in Melbourne and anti-Semitic slogans written at a Jewish school.

Australia has expressed support for the 'two-state solution,' where Israel and Palestine coexist as independent states recognizing each other's sovereignty, as well as for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in relation to the Gaza war.