Fears doctors criticising Israel may be silenced as health watchdog adopts contested antisemitism definition

Australia’s health watchdog has adopted a contested definition of antisemitism to guide its regulatory work. The move has been welcomed by the nation’s peak Jewish body while the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) has warned it could silence health professionals from criticising Israel’s human rights record. In a joint statement with the federal government’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) on Wednesday announced it had adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism for its “regulatory work.” The IHRA definition says antisemitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.” It is accompanied by illustrative examples, which opponents have argued means it can be used to conflate antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israel. The definition has been endorsed by the federal government and the antisemitism royal commission, launched in the wake of the Bondi terror attack last December, where 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah event. Ahpra’s chief executive, Justin Untersteiner, said antisemitism costs lives and “has no place in healthcare.” “Ahpra is committed to working with the Special Envoy and partners to eliminate antisemitism from the health system, because everyone should feel safe when accessing care,” he said in a statement. …