Antisemitism envoy proposes ‘external ombudsman’ to monitor ABC and SBS coverage of Israel and Middle East

Jillian Segal, Australia's government-appointed anti-semitism envoy, has suggested the creation of an "external independent ombudsman" to oversee the coverage of Israel and the Middle East by the ABC and SBS public broadcasters. In an updated plan released on Friday, Segal argued that increased oversight is necessary due to concerns over biased, inaccurate, and disproportionate reporting from the public broadcasters.

She stated that the ombudsman would review the broadcasters' past reporting and the government should consider transferring responsibilities from the current ombudsmen to this new external entity, similar to how oversight is applied in other sectors like telecommunications and banking. Segal pointed to a perception among some Jewish Australians that the coverage they receive from the ABC and SBS contributes to a negative or hostile view of supporters of Israel or those who sympathize with them.

She cited numerous reports of abuse, harassment, and accusations of "baby killers" or "genocide supporters" against Jewish Australians for their stance on Israel's right to exist.