The charter of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is clear. It is meant to provide accurate, impartial and balanced reporting. Australians fund it through their taxes precisely because it is supposed to rise above ideology, activism and political tribalism.
But on the issue of Israel and the Middle East, a growing number of Australians no longer believe the ABC is even trying.
The detailed ABC Misinformation Report submitted to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion paints a deeply disturbing picture of a public broadcaster that has abandoned neutrality and instead amplified narratives that consistently demonise Israel while minimising, excusing or contextualising the barbarity of Hamas. (The Jerusalem Post)
The report alleges repeated failures in editorial balance, selective sourcing, emotionally loaded language, and the uncritical repetition of claims originating from Hamas-controlled sources. It argues that this coverage has not merely distorted public understanding of the conflict, but has actively contributed to the toxic rise of antisemitism now spreading across Australia. (The Jerusalem Post)
That accusation should terrify anyone who still values social cohesion in this country.
This is not a debate about whether Israel should be immune from criticism. Democracies should always be open to scrutiny. Israel itself has one of the most vigorous internal media and political debates on earth.
The issue is whether Australia’s taxpayer-funded broadcaster has applied the same standards consistently and honestly.
The evidence increasingly suggests it has not.
The ABC has been accused of framing Israel almost exclusively through the lens of oppression, occupation and military power, while often reducing Hamas terrorism to “militancy”, “resistance” or “conflict”. The moral asymmetry is impossible to ignore.
After the atrocities of October 7, the civilised world should have had absolute clarity about what Hamas represents. The murder, torture, rape and kidnapping of civilians was not “context”. It was evil.
Yet large sections of the media class appeared more interested in explaining Hamas than condemning it.
That matters because media narratives shape public attitudes.
When audiences are relentlessly fed a simplified morality play in which Israel is portrayed as uniquely malevolent, it is hardly surprising that hostility toward Jews rises as well. The line between anti-Israel obsession and antisemitism is often crossed, especially when Jews in Australia are blamed, harassed or targeted for events occurring thousands of kilometres away.
Australia has now seen exactly where this poisonous atmosphere can lead.
The horrific terrorist attack at Bondi only months ago shocked the nation and forced Australians to confront a frightening reality: antisemitism is no longer a fringe phenomenon. It is becoming normalised. (New York Post)
The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was established in direct response to that growing crisis. Evidence presented to the inquiry has included testimony from Jewish Australians who are now afraid to openly display their identity in public. (ABC News)
Against that backdrop, scrutiny of the ABC is not only legitimate — it is essential.
A public broadcaster has enormous power. With that power comes responsibility.
If a privately owned activist outlet wants to campaign on ideological grounds, readers at least know what they are buying. But the ABC is different. It carries the authority and legitimacy of a national institution funded by every Australian taxpayer regardless of political belief.
That makes editorial bias far more dangerous.
Recent controversies only deepen the concern. The ABC and SBS have resisted adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism used by the Royal Commission, claiming concerns about editorial independence. (The Guardian) Critics argue this reluctance reflects a deeper institutional unwillingness to confront how anti-Israel rhetoric can slide into outright antisemitism.
Meanwhile, growing calls are emerging for the Royal Commission to directly investigate alleged bias within the ABC and SBS themselves. (The Australian)
Frankly, it is hard to argue against that.
Australians deserve journalism, not activism disguised as journalism.
They deserve reporting that distinguishes between democratic self-defence and terrorism.
They deserve context that includes the realities of Hamas extremism, Iranian influence, hostage-taking and the deliberate use of civilians as human shields.
Most of all, Jewish Australians deserve to know that the institutions funded by their own taxes are not helping to inflame the hatred now directed at their communities.
The ABC does not have to support Israel.
But it absolutely does have to report fairly.
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