EXCLUSIVE
Far-right political lobby group “Advance” — bankrolled by the family of Antisemitism Envoy Jillian Segal — spread anti-immigrant attack material ahead of the weekend’s racism-fuelled rallies.
The revelations come as Segal has failed to make any comment about the rallies, which were marred by race hate and violence.
That’s despite Segal having previously called for pro-Palestine demonstrations — which have been overwhelmingly peaceful — to be “banned” from the nation’s cities.
Investigations show Advance wrote to tens of thousands of supporters last Friday evening, railing against “immigration”, which it said was a “threat to our standard of living” and “our culture”.
Immigration “isn’t just a threat to our standard of living”, Advance wrote, it was also becoming a “threat to our national security”.
“Immigration and Albo’s policy of open boarders isn’t just a threat to our standard of living and our culture,” wrote Advance executive director Matthew Sheahan.
“Immigration is also becoming a threat to our national security.”
The mass email, sent at 5pm Friday, is titled: “The threat isn’t coming. It’s here”.
“When it comes to protecting our borders, it’s been open season for too long,” writes Sheahan.
“And now we’re under threat.”
“We’re under threat” — Matthew Sheahan
A large group of black-clad men attacked the Indigenous Camp Sovereignty on Sunday. Source: ABC/Supplied
Advance sent a similarly divisive mass email just hours before the ANZAC Day dawn service, where the Welcome to Country was booed by neo-Nazis in Melbourne.
Eight weeks ago today, Segal stood beside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and delivered her 20-page Antisemitism Report, calling for sweeping changes to the nation’s speech laws.
An expose by The Klaxon two days later, detailing how Segal’s family trust was one of the biggest funders of Advance, sparked national shockwaves and widespread calls for her resignation.
Timeline:
July 10: Segal calls for sweeping new speech laws and media “monitoring” powers
July 12: The Klaxon’s expose: Segal’s family trust second biggest “Advance” funder
July 13: Segal points to “husband”, refuses to comment further, disappears from public
The Australian Friends of Palestine Association; the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network; the Greens; the Arab Council Australia; the Lebanese Muslim Association; the Alliance of Australians for Muslims and the Australian National Imams Council have all issued statements in direct response to The Klaxon’s July 12 expose.
On July 13, Segal issued a vague, two-sentence statement, suggesting — though not directly stating — her husband was responsible, but she has made no appearances or issued any statements in the seven-and-a-half weeks since.
Tony Bourke, Jillian Segal and Anthony Albanese, launching Segal’s 20-page report on July 10. Source: AAP Image/ Dan Himbrechts
Segal has previously called for pro-Palestine marches — which unlike Sunday’s rallies have to date been overwhelmingly peaceful — to be banned from the nation’s cities.
Segal gave an interview to SBS News in December, which the outlet published online in full in January, which appears to have been largely missed by media.
The Antisemitism Envoy — paid by taxpayers to “promote social cohesion” — declared that “anti-Israel is really anti-Jewish” and that pro-Palestine demonstrations and marches should face “time and place restrictions” and be banned from cities.
Part of Advance’s anti-immigration mass email last Friday. Source: Advance
Such demonstrations should be conducted at an unspecified “designated places” that were “away from whether the Jewish community might venture”, Segal said.
“There should be places designated away from where the Jewish community might venture, where people can demonstrate,” Segal said.
“You can allow protest, but it has to be at a certain place, which does not impact other members of the community and particularly not the Jewish community.
“You can allow protest, but it has to be at a certain place, which does not impact other members of the community and particularly not the Jewish community” — Jillian Segal
More from The Klaxon:
Aug 31: Peak Jewish group attacks racism survey
Aug 18: Segal and husband have “shared values” – Celebrated by G-G
Aug 8: EXCLUSIVE: Segal’s “husband” donation claims crumble
July 29: Segal seeking to put unis “under control of a political lobby”
July 20: Jillian Segal’s husband is…an anti-racism advocate
July 16: Government must explain over Segal: Peak Muslim bodies
July 14: “Segal must resign” – Top Muslim body
July 13: Jillian Segal “won’t dictate” to husband over $50,000 to “Advance”
July 12: Jillian Segal and husband funding far-right group “Advance”
The Antisemitism Envoy likened the sensibilities of Jewish people to women immediately before undergoing an abortion.
“We have regulations in relation to that kind of thing with abortion clinics” — Jillian Segal
“We have regulations in relation to that kind of thing with abortion clinics,” Segal told SBS News.
“You can’t demonstrate within certain distances of an abortion clinic. So the cities should not be utilised for that.”
“The cities should not be utilised for that (pro-Palestinian demonstrations)” — Jillian Segal
Segal did not state where pro-Palestine marches and rallies should be conducted, if not in cities.
Last month saw one of, if not the biggest, demonstrations in the nation’s history, with an estimated 225,000 to 300,000 people marching across Sydney Harbour Bridge, in poor weather, in support of Palestine.
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Jillian Segal’s ongoing silence is causing questions. Source: Bluesky
Segal told SBS News — though providing no evidence — that last year Australia’s universities were “an epicentre of hatred and normalisation of antisemitism”.
She said pro-Palestine rallies had “morphed into something that’s much more sinister”.
“So you’d like to see those protests no taking place in city centres?” asks SBS News journalist Claudia Farhart.
“Absolutely,” responds Segal.
“I certainly understand people’s concerns and also their right to protest, but I think it’s morphed into something that’s much more sinister,” says Segal.
“The flags that are there represent, you know, flags from a terrorist organisation from time to time, or what is cried out has morphed into anti-Jewish sentiments.
“There should be places designated away from where the Jewish community might venture, where people can demonstrate” — Jillian Segal
“So it’s harassment and intimidation on that sort of regular basis, and that’s why I think it should be restricted to agreed places,” she says.
On Sunday, a group of around 50 men, many clad in black, marched from an “anti-immigration” rally in Melbourne’s CBD and attacked First Nations protest site, Camp Sovereignty, in the Kings Domain, with multiple people were allegedly assaulted.
A large group of men attacked Indigenous Camp Sovereignty. Source: ABC/Supplied
Ambulance Victoria said a woman in her 30s was taken to hospital with upper body injuries.
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell and two other men were arrested on Tuesday over the attack, with a fourth man arrested yesterday.
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell is arrested Tuesday. Source: Channel Nine
Sewell was charged with 25 offences, including violent disorder, assault and discharging a missile.
“Australia – where one in two people is either born overseas or has a parent born overseas – has been grappling with a rise in right-wing extremism, including protests by neo-Nazi’s,” reports Reuters.
The values of Segal and her husband John Roth are so intertwined they have a scholarship named after them. Source: The Klaxon
In 2023-24, the Henroth Discretionary Trust, named after Segal’s father-in-law, Henry Roth, gave Advance $50,000, making it Advance’s tied second-biggest funder.
Segal has not criticised Advance.
She is refusing to say if she approved of the $50,000 payment; if she knew of the payment; if she is a “beneficiary” of the Henroth Discretionary Trust — or whether she agrees with Advance and its activities.
Australia is under threat from bad actors. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
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Thank you,
Anthony Klan
Editor, The Klaxon
