How the Pro-Israel Lobby Is Organised: From Global Hubs to Australia
Tracing institutional links between international coordinating bodies and Australian lobby organisations
Summary
This article maps the global coordinating bodies behind pro-Israel lobbying and their direct Australian equivalents.
It explains:
The different organisations involved with a profile of each group
Why the IHRA definition is politically contested
How anti-Zionism is being reframed as racism
Why this matters for the Royal Commission and free speech
This is a definitional explainer, fully sourced, written to help Australians understand the different groups in the pro-Israel lobby and follow the process of the Royal Commission with context to commentary.
Shortcut: Jump past contents to start reading main body of the article:👉 CLICK HERE
First published: 17 Jan 2026
Last Update: 23 Mar 2026 (see version history)
Contents
APPENDICES
END PAPERS
1. Introduction
In Australia after the horror of the Bondi attacks in December there is an upcoming Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. It is absolutely critical that this is not politicised and does not turn into a freedom of speech shut down - specifically shutting down criticism of Israel.
I noted an article recently that the ADL hosts biweekly Zoom meetings of the 7 largest Jewish communities on earth to “share tips, draft legislation and advance agendas”1. The article reports that these meetings include discussion of policy approaches intended to influence domestic legislation.
Reading this and considering the different pro- Israel lobby groups in Australia it is extremely confusing understanding the different bodies, global equivalents, representations and so forth. This article is intended to provide definitions to help understand the organisations and representatives involved.
Notes:
I have written extensively on these groups previously - links to appropriate sections of previously articles are in the text and a summary in the “further reading” section.
This article is not intended to be antisemitic in any way. It critiques political advocacy and state-aligned lobbying, not Jewish identity, religion, or culture. The overall intent is definitional to assist in following the Royal Commission. I am not antisemitic and I have written an article on this which I pin to the top of all my social media feeds to clarify my good intent. ☺️
2. Pro-Israel core claims
The intention of the Royal Commission is to address hate speech and disruption of “social cohesion”. On hate speech, there are two core claims repeatedly advanced by pro-Israel advocacy organisations that can enable the shutting down of free speech criticising Israel and/or political beliefs:
That the IHRA definition of antisemitism should be the benchmark for all legislation: it cannot be - because its interpretation would shut down criticism of Israel. Several original contributors to the original IHRA definition have publicly warned against its legislative use. It is specified as “a working definition” never intended for legislation. This is why the Government uses terms like “we acknowledge the IHRA definition” but the pro-Israel lobbies always use - in true putting-words-into-people’s-mouths-then-minuting-it fashion “the Government’s chosen definition of antisemitism”.
ZFA post July 2024 on the appointment of the Australian antisemitism envoy - reminding the Government of the definition of antisemitism “chosen” by the previous heavily pro-Israel Morrison Government. Morrison’s political trajectory included sustained engagement with pro-Israel lobby groups from an early stage in his career. Antizionism and/or anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism: It is NOT. Antizionism is a political position; equating it with antisemitism collapses an essential legal and conceptual distinction. In July 2025 the Australian Federal Court explicitly rejected this conflation2.
Any “official” Government-recognised groups pushing either of these two lines have a political agenda benefitting Israel which is clearly unrelated to racism.
That is indisputable and extremely important to be aware of. You’ll see it repeated falsely as truth across social media feeds and the pro-Israel Murdoch Media ad naseum until the public assume it is correct.
So let’s look at the different organisations.
3. Overview of global organisations
At a high level there are central organising bodies and in each country local equivalents.
World Jewish Congress (WJC): an international federation of Jewish communities and organisations founded in 1936. Each country with a Jewish population has a representative body on WJC representing the Jewish people in their nation.
SECCA (Special envoys & co-ordinators combatting antisemitism): part of the WJC organisation co-ordinating special envoys embedded into Governments around the world set up in 2019.
J7 Task Force: this is a group composed the representative bodies of the 7 countries outside Israel with the largest Jewish populations. It is actually an initiative of the US-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) who co-ordinate meetings and approach and was set up in mid-2023.
American Jewish Committee: A US charity set up in 1906, it describes itself as the global advocacy organisation for the Jewish people. Part of its remit is to stand up for Israel noting “Israel has a staunch defender and visionary partner in AJC". The organisation has offices around the world with AIJAC being its Australian partner.
World Zionist Organisation (WZO): founded in 1897 this is the central body for political Zionism with representatives in countries with Jewish populations globally - regardless of whether all Jewish communities subscribe to political Zionism (an important distinction).
The following sections looks at each of the global groups calling out the local Australian equivalents.
4. The J7 Task Force (🇦🇺 ECAJ)
Whilst the formal co-ordinating body for representative Jewish groups globally is the World Jewish Congress a relatively new group called the J7 Task Force operates outside the formal WJC structure while overlapping in membership and leadership networks.
4.1 The J7
The “J7 Taskforce” was formed by the US-based ADL in July 2023 to co-ordinate a response to a rise in antisemitism globally they had reported at that time three months before October 7th3.
The J7 are the representatives of the “7 largest Jewish communities on earth”. Indicatively below are the top 9 Jewish populations represented4 also expressed as a % of overall population (in 2025):
The J7 excludes Israel but also presumably for political reasons excludes Russia which is in the top 7 by population but not included in the group.
The different local organisations represented in order of Jewish population size are:
🇺🇸 USA - Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP) - plus the ADL but in a Chair co-ordinating capacity as organisers of the J7
🇨🇦 Canada - Centre for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA)
🇦🇷 Argentina - Delegatión de Associaones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA)
🇩🇪 Germany - Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland (ZJD)
🇦🇺 Australia - Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ)
These groups are private charity structured organisations and not part of the Government - and claim broad representative authority in their particular geography.
4.1.1 J7 in Australia: December 2025
The J7 was formed ostensibly to combat the rise of antisemitism (hatred of Jewish people because they are Jews) but it appears the J7 are increasingly indistinguishable from political lobbying operations focused on Israel. And this orchestration across geographies is becoming more pronounced.
The J7 had just met recently in Australia - just one week before Bondi in fact.
The group hosted a number of sessions, publicity photos and so forth - presenting unchallenged statistics of “antisemitism” that framed Australia’s reputation internationally through this contested and selective dataset. Furthermore, the ADL were allowed to present claims debunked by NSW police at an Opera House photo shoot without being corrected by their hosts the local pro-Israel lobby.
The culmination was a co-ordinated public call for the Government to adopt the antisemitism envoy’s plan to combat antisemitism.
This was not needed - after the horror at Bondi a week later - the Government agreed to adopt to plan under intense political pressure following Bondi - a poor outcome all round.
In the weeks after Bondi the ADL produced a video noting the fortnightly J7 Zoom calls co-ordinating strategies.
🎥 Instagram Video: Vocal politics - click below to watch:
4.1.2 J7 in New York: March 2026
The J7 met in New York March 2026 on the sidelines of the ADL’s annual Never Is Now global summit. The meeting reveals the power structures in this group detailed in the Epilogue: J7 New York March 2026.
4.1 ECAJ
In Australia the body officially attached to the World Jewish Congress is the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) founded in 1944 with co-CEOs Peter Wertheim and Alex Ryvchin describing itself as “the roof body and the voice of the Australian Jewish community”. The World Jewish Congress lists ECAJ as the recognised national body.
The group has a permanent office in Canberra opened in 2018 at the height of the Liberal Government’s successive pro-Israeli legislation and policy changes.
4.2.1 ECAJ Structure
State Bodies: there are various state bodies under the ECAJ umbrella for Jewish Affairs.
The largest bodies are:
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies incorporating NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel co-ordinating NSW State Parliament lobbying and MP trips to Israel.
4.2.2 ECAJ policy
The ECAJ maintains a central policy platform composed of both domestic policy but also “International Policy on Israel & International Affairs” which aligns consistently with Israeli state policy positions which is clearly pushing a foreign policy agenda on behalf of Israel. Examples are:
Rubbishing the ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant and publicly urged Australia not to act on ICC arrest warrants.
Moving the Australian Embassy to Jerusalem - widely argued by international law experts to conflict with established diplomatic law - in contravention of the Vienna Conventions on the location of Embassies and currently before the ICJ
Opposing Palestinian statehood
Undermining and rubbishing all investigations into Israel by the UN
These are not community safety policies. They mirror Israeli state positions. And the ICC policy part was updated overnight November 2024 after the arrest warrants were issued - it is dynamic depending on Israel’s needs.
Notably, the preamble asserts that these positions advance Australian democratic values - claiming that the policy “enhances general Australian values of democracy and human rights, individual freedom and the rule of law; social justice and compassion; mutual understanding and respect and a fair go for all”.
Advocating these positions clearly would NOT give the Palestinians a fair go…
4.2.3 Deplatforming
The pro-Israel lobby has repeatedly intervened to prevent platforms being given to critics of Israel across Australian society. A most recent jarring example was the misguided removal of Randa Abdel-Fattah from the Adelaide Writer’s Festival5.
In August 2025 Jewish activist Louise Katz organised a community meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies lobbied directly to have this discussion cancelled which it was. Katz wrote an open letter to the Board outlining their hypocrisy6.
“You claim to represent the NSW Jewish community; however, there are those of us of Jewish heritage who certainly do not think you stand for us. Nor do I believe you are “well-placed to navigate relationships between Judaism and Zionism” as you claim. In fact, it seems you are wilfully blinding yourselves in a kind of rhetorical fog that can, at best, emit platitudes to do with “blood libels” etc, when people express their horror of the massive and relentless overkill currently decimating Gaza”.
The full transcript of the letter is in Appendix A.
4.2.4 Open Questions on ECAJ
There are some open questions on the remit of ECAJ.
Since ECAJ have written into their policy agenda a set of policies mirroring Israeli State policy - how does that impact their structure as a charity? Their activities listed by this policy alone venture into lobbying on behalf of a foreign state, never mind their demonstrable record since October 7th.
5. American Jewish Committee (🇦🇺 AIJAC)
The American Jewish Committee was set up in 1906 describing itself as the global advocacy organisation for the Jewish people - but with a strong emphasis on defending Israel. They are a huge organisation with offices throughout the world and describes the Australian arm as a “partner organisation”.
US politicians are oft criticised for taking funds from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) which is thankfully a lot more visible in America rather than Australia through transparency laws.
They also are criticised for taking sponsored trips to Israel - and it is the AJC that organises and pays for these trips. The trips are called Project Interchange and described as “a right of passage” for members of the US Congress.
Notably the AJC issued a fairly comprehensive list of demands of Australia post the Bondi attack7.
5.1 AIJAC
The Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Committee (AIJAC) was founded in 1997 describes itself as the peak lobbying and PR body for the Australian Jewish Community.
Throughout the last two years AIJAC has daily platformed IDF narratives disseminated largely without challenge and has taken positions for Israel such as objecting to the statement Australia signed with 27 other countries on 23 July 2005 calling for an end to the war and for aid to be delivered to Gazans that Israel had cut off8.
5.2 Trips to Israel
Perhaps AIJACs most well known activities are sponsored trips to Israel for key influencers as the best description. Either ad hoc trips or part of the Rambam Israel Fellowship Program “for selected senior journalists, politicians, political advisers, senior public servants and student leaders”.
These follow the same model as the Project Interchange trips for US politicians by the AJS. The inaugural Rambam trip in 2003 proved to be quite fruitful in terms of embedding enduring networks of influence over the long term….
AIJAC had worked directly with AJC in 2018 organising a trip Canberra in 2018 to discuss Israel foreign policy with the Government and other key politicians9. This was under the Morrison Government, the most pro-Israel Government in history and the year ECAJ opened a permanent office in Canberra justified by the co-operation.
AJC and AIJAC have worked together in the past to sponsor not just trips for Australian or American politicians - but also for politicians and media in the region - from Vietnam, Thailand, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Volume of trips to Israel
It was reported by The Australian Strategic Policy Institute in 2018 that Israel was the top destination for MPs paid private trips during an 8 year period between 2009-2017, outstripping the US and China in terms of numbers.
But this was just sitting MPs that had declared during the period on their expenses. AIJAC also sponsors trips for up and coming political staffers or even student leaders who later become MPs themselves, plus other targeted influencers in other groups as above.
To give an idea of the volume. An April 2006 article reported that in the short time it had been operating the Rambam program at that point (November 2003 first trip to April 2006) - less than 2.5 years - 120 journalists, politicians, clergy and policymakers had participated in the program. In June 2007 it was reported as “nearly 200”10.
So this would mean between Dec 2003 and June 2007 as an example period an average of 70 people were taken on AIJAC funded trips to Israel in a single year (say $1.4M in flights and accommodation, on an average $20K per trip).
An unusually large and sustained program of privately funded political travel.
5.3 Brokering defence meetings between ministers, contractors and the IDF
AIJAC has been organising a private event the Australia-Israel Strategic Dialogue for the last 10 years bringing together Ministers, defence contractors and IDF representatives.
The 2022 dialogue included11:
the current IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir
Executives from Palantir and Elbit — whose technology is extensively used in Gaza
Deputy PM/Defence Minister Richard Marles as keynote
AG Mark Dreyfus
Andrew Hastie (Shadow Defenece Minister)
Senator David Fawcett (Bipartisan Federal Friends of Israel)
Mark Regev
Mike Kelly (Palantir Australia President, Co-Founder Labor Friends of Israel)
AIJAC Chair Colin Rubenstein
In an article on 27th November 2025 the lobby lamented that for the first time in those 10 years the Government did not send along any representatives to the meeting12.
5.4 Mark Leibler
The Chair of AIJAC is Mark Leibler - who has been a central figure across multiple decades of lobbying for Israel noting Gough Whitlam was the first Prime Minister he had lobbied. In November 2024 was presented with Israel’s highest civilian honour by President Herzog.
Leibler wears multiple hats with multiple crossovers. His day job is a partner of the law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler with his son Jeremy (also the President of the Zionist Federation of Australia) but holds multiple other positions:
It is unclear who will take Mark Leibler’s mantle when he finally steps down. Notably Israel advocate Arsen Ostrovsky has just relocated from Israel to Australia to take the role of Executive Director of the Sydney Office as a potential candidate.
6. World Zionist Organisation (🇦🇺 ZFA)
The final group of organisations - again charity structures - are openly promoting political zionism - being groups part of the World Zionist Organisation. In Australia this is the Zionist Federation of Australia.
You’d expect since these groups openly practice and promote political zionism and are distinguished from the other lobby groups there would be no ideological overlap but this is clearly not the case.
An example would be the organisation that supports Jewish students across Australasia the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS). It is in fact by its own constitution and actions a Zionist body with that particular agenda13. This was noted by Sydney University before October 7th - questioning their support for all Jewish students14. This goes some way to explaining their agenda in the “antisemitism debate” at universities - since there is a pro-Israel zionist agenda underlying their beliefs.
6.1. World Zionist Organisation
Founded in 1897 by Theodore Herzl. This is the central body for Zionism globally with the stated mission15:
Zionism aims at establishing for the Jewish people a legally assured home in Eretz Yisrael. To achieve this purpose, the following means shall be employed:
Promoting the settlement of Jewish farmers, artisans, and tradesmen in Palestine.
Organizing and uniting the whole of Jewry through effective local and international means in accordance with the laws of each country.
Strengthening of the Jewish national sentiment and national consciousness through Israel education with “shlichim” (Global chapters of the WZO)
Preparatory steps toward obtaining the consent of governments, where necessary, in order to achieve the goals of Zionism.
6.2 ZFA
The Zionist Federation of Australia was founded in 1928 by Australian war hero and staunch Zionist Sir John Monash.
The local President is Jeremy Leibler (son of Mark Leibler of AIJAC) with CEO Alon Cassuto - “advocating for the State of Israel on behalf of The Australian Community”16. ZFA is funded through World Zionist Organisation structures closely linked to the Israeli state.
There are various bodies throughout Australia with an large number of affiliate organisations for the state groups:
Zionist Council of NSW co-ordinating 48 affiliated NSW bodies supporting the Zionist movement
Zionism Victoria co-ordinating 60 VIC affiliates
There is also a Women’s International Zionist Organisation (WIZO) which has a WIZO Australian Chapter. The international organisation was founded 1920 with the Australian Chapter established in 1935.
7. SECCA (🇦🇺 Jillian Segal)
Whilst the J7 are typically private charity structures there is another pro-Israel global co-ordinating group whose members are embedded in actual Governments worldwide in the countries they represent.
That is SECCA - Special Envoys and Coordinators Combatting Antisemitism co-ordinates special envoys worldwide and is part of the World Jewish Congress - that also co-ordinates all representative bodies such as ECAJ.
The President of the WJC since 2007 is Ron Lauder (of the Estée Lauder family) who is a dedicated Zionist with a formidable pro-Israel track record.
7.1 Jillian Segal
The Australian representative on SECCA is the Australian Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism Jillian Segal.
Segal was appointed to the role in July 2024 and operates with a dedicated government office and substantial public funding.
In the United States, Trump’s antisemitism envoy nominee — right-wing Chabad Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun (described as “Miriam Adelson’s ally”)— was so controversial he was urged to be voted down after he appeared in front of a Senate hearing for the role. In the end he got through.
In Australia, Jillian Segal entered the same role with virtually zero public scrutiny - with no hearing, limited vetting and no publicly disclosed conflict-of-interest assessment accompanying the appointment.
Segal has faced much criticism and had she faced scrutiny you would expect it to be unlikely she would have got the role given her clear bias. She is the immediate past president of ECAJ and has made public statements on the IHRA definition of antisemitism, Zionism and the Gaza conflict itself. This would typically trigger disqualification scrutiny in comparable public appointments.
This was apparent in the antisemitism plan that was produced in July 2025 which was described by civil liberties organisations as deeply restrictive - intending to introduce monitoring of free speech amongst other measures.
7.2 Antisemitism Plan
Nevertheless - only after the Bondi shootings under intense pressure did the Government agreed to adopt her plan — including a proposal to await her tailored interpretation of the IHRA definition “for Australia”.
It is particularly concerning that Segal describes the US approach under Yehuda Kaploun as “the gold standard” in fighting antisemitism. Is this the template across SECCA to be adopted?
8. Conclusion
Recapping the two lines that if pushed indicate a political bias:
That the IHRA definition of antisemitism should be the benchmark for all legislation
Antizionism and/or anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism
Note the demonstrable biases of the pro-Israel lobby in Australia who claim to be “fighting antisemitism” (using their definitions above) and the global bodies they co-ordinate with.
Therefore it is not unreasonable to assume the pro-Israel lobby leveraging support from the J7 lobby groups and SECCA will be pushing in the Australian Royal Commission in a coordinated fashion a one-sided interpretation of antisemitism as political zionism - protecting Israel.
This is a body of evidence pointing in a consistent direction - showing a pattern of foreign-aligned advocacy operating with limited transparency and raising significant questions about foreign influence safeguards and public funding oversight.
In other countries action has been taken against lobby groups - it is time in Australia this was also the case.
The organisational relationships outlined here are largely matters of public record. Perhaps removing this clear orchestration and bias on behalf of a foreign state is what the Royal Commission should be recommending.
Epilogue: J7 New York March 2026
The main article mapped the domestic structure of pro-Israel advocacy organisations in Australia. The following epilogue examines a series of March 2026 meetings in New York involving the J7 network, illustrating Australian pro-Israel advocacy lobbying transnationally interacting with diplomatic and multilateral institutions.
In March 2026 the J7 were in NYC for a series of meetings attending:
ADL Never Is Now annual antisemitism summit 16-17 March
US Conference of Presidents of major Jewish organisations meeting
Meeting with corresponding UN Ambassadors of the J7 countries.
E.1 ADL Never Is Now
The ADL Never is Now event is an annual global summit event. At the March 2026 ECAJ representative Daniel Aghion stated17:
“while Australia may have suffered the worst antisemitic attack in the diaspora since the start of the 7 October war, tragically it was a far from isolated event”
This assertion is reliant on ECAJ bespoke antisemitism data that had been presented previously. The differences in definitional scope — particularly regarding the inclusion of anti-Zionist or anti-Israel expression — can significantly influence incident totals and interpretation.
E.2 Conference of Presidents
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP) has maintained ongoing engagement with Israeli leadership. In July 2025, a COP delegation met with President Isaac Herzog, who thanked participants for their continued advocacy on behalf of Israel18.
In advance of the March 2026 meetings with UN representatives in New York, this advocacy was reflected in the press release on the round-table discussion:
“how UN processes could be reformed to remove anti-Zionism and anti-Israel bias.”
At the New York gathering, Australian representative Jonah Feiglin of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) spoke on:
“the antisemitic conditions on campus at Australian universities”
WUJS identifies as a Zionist student organisation, and as noted earlier in this article, definitional boundaries between antisemitism and political criticism of Israel remain contested in academic and policy contexts.
COP also issued commentary regarding the election of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, stating19:
“Zohran Mamdani’s elevation to Gracie Mansion reminds us that antisemitism remains a clear and present danger”
This indicates a particular line by COP which does not reflect the views of one third of New York Jewish voters who voted for Mamdani20.
E.3 UN Ambassadors meeting
It was the final meeting that shows the level of diplomatic access enjoyed by this group - calling a closed-door meeting with UN Ambassadors representing their countries at the ADL HQ21.
But note that “representing their countries” is not the wording used in the J7 publicity - simply “their” implying some sort of obligation to the group outside of normal diplomatic channels22.
The attendees from the UN were:
🇦🇷 Ambassador Francisco Tropepi of Argentina
🇨🇦 Ambassador Michael Gort of Canada
🇫🇷 Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont of France (noting the COP had shunned a meeting with the French Foreign Minister in July 2025 over France’s recognition of Palestine23)
🇩🇪 Ambassador Ricklef Beutin of Germany
🇬🇧 Ambassador James Kariuki of the U.K.
🇺🇸 Ambassador Jeff Bartos of the United States.
Quotes from the discussion in the press release:
“our Governments and the UN must do more to combat antisemitism and the anti-Israel bias that too often fuels and legitimises it”
ensure UN resources do not support …. campaigns that promote anti-Israel boycotts
calling for the resignation of Francesca Albanese
reforming UN processes to remove anti-Zionism and Israel hatred from its midst
The final point echoes on a global stage the current push for the the Australian Royal Commission - associating anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
E.4 J7 Power Structures
A few observations here from these meetings and the ongoing activities of the J7.
From an Australian perspective, the overall view is of a private group of individuals presenting a subjective view of all of Australian society - in a negative light - to a global audience behind closed doors. I’m sure your average Australian would not be pleased about this subjective view dragging the nation’s name through the mud as was done in the J7 meetings in Australia in 2025.
This shows again the unparalleled access to the most senior officials in the name of “combatting antisemitism” - then pushing a clearly political line - anti-Israel rhetoric and those who criticise - e.g. Francesca Albanese. They appear to have secured a commitment to meet with the UN Ambassadors whenever the J7 meets in New York in the future. How about “we’ll let you know”.
This mirrors transnationally the regular access to the highest levels of the Australian Government these lobby groups enjoy in Canberra - in the name of “combatting antisemitism”.
Within the United Nations of course Israel enjoys a privileged and protected position through the US veto that has been exercised most for the country. The elephant analogy repeats that employed earlier in the article - domestically regarding the Murdoch Media amplifying the pro-Israel lobby. Like the United Nations Security Council chamber - it is the obvious elephant in the room that nobody properly addresses the root-causes of.
Anti-Israel …. it feels a bit rich lecturing UN Ambassadors on “anti-Israel rhetoric” when every vote in the UN shows huge opposition to its actions. It feels like trying to forget the last 2.5 years of Israel’s actions like Mike Pompeo’s quote in conversation at Israel’s Mir Yam Institute in January 202624:
On October 7th: “we need to make sure that the story is told properly, so that when the history books write this they don’t write about the victims of Gaza”
Monitoring: A related development in the United States concerns the increasing role of private organisations in monitoring online discourse relating to antisemitism.
In a January 2026 interview, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt described the organisation’s use of analytical tools, including AI systems, to review publicly available online content relating to extremist activity25.
According to Greenblatt they use AI to scan “endless online chatter” and forward anything they flag to law enforcement and policymakers.
This reflects a broader trend in which civil society organisations employ technological tools to identify hate speech or extremist activity online.
However, such practices have also prompted debate regarding:
privacy safeguards
transparency of methodology
accountability mechanisms for non-government actors
Greenblatt says he has “40 analysts working full-time 7 days a week 24 hours a day monitoring extremists” … we monitor and share intelligence with the FBI.
This is despite FBI Director Kash Patel in October 2025 saying that they had severed their relationship with the ADL26 saying:
“This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs”
The ADL are not the only ones taking this approach. Patriots owner and staunch pro-Israel advocate Robert Kraft has invested $200M of his own money into an advanced project monitoring online traffic for antisemitism27.
In early 2026 ahead of President Herzog’s trip to Australia, the Israeli Government prepared a report on Australian online antisemitism28. Data on organisations and individuals deemed to be publishing “deligitimising and antisemitic” social media posts were provided to the Israeli Government by organisations including the US based Combat Antisemitism Movement.
This is the same organisation that put together a one-sided summit on the Gold Coast in September 2025 for Australia local councillors. On the board of CAM was the late brother-in-law of Australian antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal (Stanley Roth) and also David Gonski. Gonski happens to be heading up Australia’s antisemitism education task force.
It is hoped that such monitoring is not the “best practice” or shared key information and relationships our local representatives in Australia are fostering with these ongoing meetings.
In particular if “antisemitism” is defined subjectively as “antizionist” or “anti-Israel” as would appear to be the case.
Taken together, the March 2026 New York meetings illustrate the operational reality of transnational advocacy networks described in the article. Organisations operating domestically are also embedded within global coalitions that engage directly with diplomatic institutions, multilateral organisations, and policy processes.
Whether viewed as legitimate civil society advocacy or as disproportionate influence, these structures demonstrate the importance of transparency in understanding how policy narratives relating to antisemitism, Zionism, and Israel are developed, shared, and operationalised across jurisdictions.
APPENDICES
Appendix A: An open letter to the Jewish Board of Deputies from Louise Katz
On the subject of silencing dissent. A Jewish activist recently organised an event to discuss the situation in Gaza. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies contacted the venue and pressed them to cancel the event. Louise wrote an article in John Menaduie’s Pearls and Irritations - reproduced below.
I am part of a small group of people who intended to hold an event to discuss the situation in Gaza. Shortly before our event was scheduled, the Jewish board of Deputies pressed our venue operators to cancel the event. This incursion into our right to gather was a striking example of the ethos that informs so much of the Zionist lobby’s methods of silencing any departure from what is perceived as pro-Israel lines of argument. Thus:
I’m writing to you from Bundeena in response to your attempt to curtail our planned community meeting, the main focus of which was to discuss ways to help alleviate the suffering in Palestine, particularly the surviving children of Gaza.
You contacted our venue, and although I can’t know exactly what was said or written, I do know, by its result, that it was intimidating enough for our hosts to revoke their invitation. People were furious at this interference in their right to free speech. This is a small community – word spread.
It seems that your organisation is unaware that all the noise from various Zionist organisations globally, who frequently fuse horror at Israeli actions with antisemitism, are backfiring. It is disturbing to hear people speaking of Jewishness and Zionism as if they are synonymous. It is chilling to witness the conflation of disgust at Israeli Government policies with Judaism. So much damage is being done to Jews globally by this overreach and I fear the backlash that is coming, led by actual antisemites who will certainly see Israel’s war and Zionist arrogance as good enough reasons to attack Jews anywhere.
Let people speak. Do not try to silence us. And encourage the brutal government you seem to support unconditionally to come to its senses, instead of directing your antipathy outwards, toward compassionate, peace-loving people. Stop using the dreadfulness of 7 October as an excuse to support this vile hate-building exercise in Gaza and the extension of Israel into Gaza and the West Bank. Such grotesque excess is unconscionable. Israel cannot “win” militarily. All that will emerge from this hideous debacle is generations of people hating Israel – and Jews. Describing the understandable horror that so many people feel about the abuse of human rights in Palestine is not antisemitic. Silencing this dissent is breeding antisemitism.
… I received a reply to this letter in which the author expressed the concern that we were creating division rather than promoting dialogue (although how closing down conversations promotes dialogue is a strategy with which I’m unfamiliar). My response, in part, follows:
Nevertheless, we secured a new venue and screened The Endgame, a film that asks whether the forced transfer of Palestinians from their lands is Israel’s ultimate goal, and does not, as you write, “draw on conspiracy theories that echo longstanding antisemitic blood libels”. Perhaps you have not seen the film? Two of the original three speakers attended, and gave fascinating talks about Australian involvement in the technologies of war, particularly in Israel/Palestine, and historical background to the Gaza genocide was the other main feature. Some of the audience were very moved, particularly the Jewish attendees, who are appalled at the temerity of Zionist lobbyists who hold that to deplore the actions of Israel is to be antisemitic.
Our event did indeed promote dialogue, not division. We welcomed any interested parties to attend and participate, rather than trying to close anyone down. Indeed, it was the largest crowd we’ve seen so far at our small symposia series where our community discusses philosophical and cultural issues on a regular basis. More meetings are planned on subjects to do with Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and particularly what Ehud Olmert has referred to as Israel’s “war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians”.
You claim to represent the NSW Jewish community; however, there are those of us of Jewish heritage who certainly do not think you stand for us. Nor do I believe you are “well-placed to navigate relationships between Judaism and Zionism” as you claim. In fact, it seems you are wilfully blinding yourselves in a kind of rhetorical fog that can, at best, emit platitudes to do with “blood libels” etc, when people express their horror of the massive and relentless overkill currently decimating Gaza.
As I mentioned in my previous email, I believe that members of the “pro-Israel” lobby are effectively doing the opposite to what they intend; that is, inculcating “anti-Israel” sentiment, while also hardening people’s hearts globally against Jews. Uncritical acceptance of any atrocity committed in the name of Jews or of Israel’s “safety” are gutting the spirit of social justice still so central to many Jewish people. This does incalculable harm to all. Israeli messianic territorialism is not Judaism.
Your attempts to reconfigure peace-builders as perpetrators of “hate” is a cruel and dangerous lie in the face of the murder and starvation of an entire people. Showing films and holding talks about what the IDF is doing in Palestine, and how powerful industrial and advocacy groups comply with this, is not promoting conspiracy theories or antisemitic tropes, as you suggest, it’s simply looking at the appalling reality we’re confronted with daily.
Yours sincerely,
Louise Katz
END PAPERS
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📋 References
Information Liberation, Chris Menhaden, Dec 18 2025, “ADL: ‘Seven Largest Jewish Communities’ Hold Biweekly Meetings to ‘Share Tips,’ ‘Draft Legislation” - https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=65079
Federal Court of Australia NSD 1503 of 2024 Wertheim v Haddad [2025] FCA 720 - https://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2025/2025fca0720
ECAJ Facebook 2 Dec 2025 - What is the J7? - https://www.facebook.com/ECAJewry/posts/pfbid0sSDQL85djzRWveJt1WgsBBsSZ6dLJFiJ9zJn1H1wLKX4iATcVM53goLpLGjhGPKHl
David Miller X Post 15 Jan 2026: Jewish populations listed as indicative as he does not quote his sources but seems correct from US, Australia figures -
The Guardian, Kelly Burke, 16 Jan 2026, “Call this social cohesion? The war of words that laid waste to the 2026 Adelaide writers’ festival“ - https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/16/call-this-social-cohesion-the-six-day-war-of-words-that-laid-waste-to-the-2026-adelaide-writers-festival-ntwnfb
Pearls and Irritations: Louise Katz Aug 15 2025 “An open letter to the Jewish Board of Deputies“ - https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/08/an-open-letter-to-the-jewish-board-of-deputies/
American Jewish Committee website, 29 Dec 2025 (updated 12 Jan 2026) “AJC’s Response to the Bondi Beach Attack“ - https://www.ajc.org/after-the-bondi-beach-attack
ABC News, Julia Jacobo, 22 July 2025 “28 countries sign statement calling for end of war in Gaza“ - https://abcnews.go.com/International/25-countries-sign-statement-calling-end-war-gaza/story?id=123926786
American Jewish Committee website Mar 22 2018 “AJC Delegation Concludes Visit to Australia“ - https://www.ajc.org/news/ajc-delegation-concludes-visit-to-australia
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Bro I've been saying the same things as you. I got the same kind of content but nobody listens. Your doing good man. Keep going
"It is absolutely critical that this is not politicised and does not turn into a freedom of speech shut down - specifically shutting down criticism of Israel"? It was politicised the moment the first shot was fired.