National Public Broadcaster Sacks Reporter for Anti-Semitism

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's studio in South Bank, Brisbane in Australia on Aug. 11, 2023. (Courtesy of Margery Dunn)

A fill-in ABC radio presenter has been sacked following complaints from the Jewish community over a series of pro-Palestine posts on social media.

Lebanese Australian journalist Antoinette Lattouf had just hosted ABC Sydney’s morning radio program for three days before she was sacked for posting comments critical of Israel.

Ms. Lattouf was originally scheduled to host the program for five days but was sacked on Dec. 20 just hours after finishing her program.

Ms. Lattouf recently co-wrote an article questioning claims that pro-Palestine protesters shouted “gas the Jews” at a rally outside the Sydney Opera House.

One Jewish woman reportedly raised her concerns to ABC Managing Director David Anderson, saying that Ms. Lattouf was biased as evidenced “by her stance on opposing the authenticity of the ‘gas the Jews’ chants at the Sydney Opera House,” reported The Australian.

“Her actions, in my opinion, contribute to a rewriting of history that is not only inaccurate but also harmful.”

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Moreover, complaints over Ms. Lattouf’s presenter role were raised with ABC Chair Ita Buttrose, who was reportedly “furious” with the decision to hire the casual fill-in role.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry applauded ABC’s decision to sack the Lebanese Australian journalist, saying that Ms. Lattouf has “consistently” used her platform to “spread disinformation about ­Israel and to gaslight the Jewish community.”

Posting on social media on Dec. 20, Ms. Lattouf said she was “disappointed by the ABC’s decision” and said she believed she “was terminated unlawfully.”

“This is not a win for journalism or critical, fair thinking,” she wrote, adding that she was considering her legal options.

Meanwhile, the union for journalists in Australia, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), said the sacking was “incredibly disturbing.”

“Australians expect and deserve an ABC that is home to a range of ideas and opinions reflective of the diversity of Australian society,” said MEAA Acting Chief Executive Adam Portelli.

“The ABC should be backing its own employees when they come under attack.

“It is also disturbing if—as has been reported today—the ABC chairperson or other board members are dictating staffing decisions in breach of editorial independence.”

The ABC MEAA House Committee claimed that journalists from diverse backgrounds were often “disproportionately” attacked by members of the public, and often felt “unsupported” by ABC management and the Board.

“To our culturally and linguistically diverse colleagues: you are not alone, we have your back,” the MEAA said.

Social Media Posts Breached ABC’s Policies

Ms. Lattouf’s posts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok are understood to have breached the ABC’s social media policies, reported The Daily Mail.

“A thoughtless post or tweet can instantly compromise this perception of impartiality,” the ABC’s rules state.

In her post, Ms. Lattouf said: “It is also dangerous to, and ­disingenuous, to discuss Hamas using rape as a tool of war without acknowledging that ­Israeli forces do too.”

Additionally, in her article criticising the Opera House protest, Ms. Lattouf claimed that the video showing pro-Palestine protesters chanting anti-Semitic comments was edited.

Former ABC Sydney presenter Josh Szeps, who recently quit the ABC, supported Ms. Lattouff on Instagram while criticising the broadcaster.

Ms. Lattouf had also joined hundreds of journalists in signing an open letter calling for all Australian newsrooms to exercise “professional scepticism when prioritising or relying on uncorroborated Israeli government and military sources to shape coverage as is applied to Hamas.”