The ABC’s Anti-Israel Obsession

Australia’s national broadcaster is supposed to belong to all Australians.

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.

Right now, too many Australians no longer believe it does.

Peace in Gaza, Rage in the West — What Does That Tell You?

When a real ceasefire arrives, food flows, hostages are freed, and civilians begin to rebuild, how do you expect people who genuinely care about human suffering to react? You’d expect relief, gratitude, cheering — hope. Instead, Western streets are filled with the same crowds who have protested for two years, not dancing in the streets for the Palestinians’ good fortune, but still screaming hatred at Jews.

That observation isn’t political nitpicking. It’s the most straightforward honesty: if your cause was the suffering of Gazans, then the moment Gaza ceases to be a battlefield should be a moment of celebration. The fact that large, visible demonstrations did not turn joyful — and in many places escalated into calls for violence and the harassment of innocent Jews — tells you everything you need to know about what those protests were really about.

The contrast is stark.

Reporters on the ground note that ordinary Gazans — the non-Hamas civilians whose lives were shattered — are relieved, accepting aid, and returning home. The UN says food supplies are arriving. Families are reuniting. That is precisely what “pro-humanitarian” movements should want.

Compare that to the reaction from the Western protest movement. Rather than celebrating the end of hostilities or the release of hostages, many of the same activists continued to march, chant, and engage in behaviour that crossed the line into antisemitic intimidation: harassment at vigils, violent incidents, attempts to disrupt Jewish life, and open calls for the destruction of Israel. These actions are not the work of people whose primary concern is humanitarian relief. They’re the actions of an ideological movement that has long been more interested in vilifying Israel — and, by extension, Jews — than in helping Palestinians.

Violence and intimidation: not accidental

This is not abstract theory. The past two years saw embassy staff shot at, firebombs, attacks on synagogues and Jewish community centres, and even incidents where Jews were physically assaulted during vigils. These are not “excesses” by a few bad apples; they are the predictable outgrowth of a movement that wraps itself in a moral cloak but traffics in demonisation.

Those who are sincere about Palestinian welfare would be pushing for reconstruction, safe passage for aid, and rebuilding schools and hospitals. Instead, too many of the loudest voices tried to make political capital out of suffering — and, when the suffering subsided, they kept shouting the same hatred. That persistence exposes their real aim: not peace, but the delegitimisation and, in some cases, eradication of the Jewish state.

The moral failure of performative outrage

There’s a pattern here that should alarm any decent person. A movement professes sympathy for the weak, then refuses to rejoice when the weak are helped. It protests the presence of military action, but not the practice of terrorism that precipitated it. It claims occupation as the issue, yet calls openly for the destruction of a people. That pattern suggests the moral frame was never about rescue or rights; it was about ideology and grievance.

And because this movement operates under the guise of activism, its more extreme elements are shielded — celebrated even — by parts of the media and campus culture. That cover makes it easier for antisemitic language and tactics to spread, and harder to call them out without being branded a censor.

What now? Accountability, not appeasement

The peace deal should compel us to do three things:

1. Call out hypocrisy. If you marched in the name of Palestinian welfare, you should be marching now to rebuild hospitals and schools. If instead you’re still chanting genocidal slogans, you deserve to be exposed for what you are.

2. Protect Jewish communities. Free speech is vital, but speech that incites violence or targets innocent people must be restrained through law enforcement and public pressure. There must be zero tolerance for threats, harassment, and arson.

3. Re-focus on genuine aid. Real supporters of human rights should insist that reconstruction and humanitarian assistance take precedence — not political theatre — and be measured by results on the ground, not hashtags.

Conclusion: This was never about Gaza

The peace deal has done the one thing that words and theory could not: it removed the plausible moral cover that those protesters relied upon. When the original claimed grievance is alleviated and the chanting continues unchanged — when the people the protesters claim to support are themselves relieved — the truth is visible. The movement’s energy is not channelled into healing; it is channelled into vilifying a people and delegitimising a state.

If you legitimately cared about Palestinian civilians, you’d be celebrating or quietly rebuilding with them. If you’re still on the streets calling for the destruction of Jews, stop pretending you were ever marching for humanitarian reasons. The peace deal proves it.

Here is a short video making similar arguments from a US centric viewpoint. 

Australia's Fantasy of Social Cohesion

The Albanese government loves to trumpet “social cohesion” as one of its highest policy goals. Yet the reality, as laid bare in a recent Gatestone Institute article, is that this supposed cohesion is more a fantasy than a fact.

The report highlights a dangerous contradiction at the heart of government policy: while hate crimes against Australia’s Jewish community are increasing, Labor ministers seem far more concerned about avoiding “Islamophobia” than addressing blatant, violent antisemitism. Islamophobia, of course, has become a convenient political shield — used not just to protect ordinary Muslims from discrimination (a legitimate goal), but also to suppress any criticism of Islamism, radical ideologies, or the growing problem of Jew-hatred on Australian streets.

The consequences are clear for all to see. In recent months, Australia has witnessed mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations — some openly supporting Hamas and other terrorist groups — across iconic sites like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Nazi imagery has appeared at protests outside Parliament. Jewish businesses and synagogues have been targeted. And yet, when Australians rally in support of their nation’s Western values, the government dismisses them as “neo-Nazis.” The double standard is breathtaking.

Meanwhile, the government is fast-tracking Palestinians into the country, many from war zones, without proper vetting. Even Muslim-majority states like Egypt and Jordan have refused to take them in, citing security risks. But Australia, under the illusion of “compassion” and “cohesion,” apparently knows better.

This is not just about migration numbers. It is about values. As the article points out, many new arrivals do not wish to assimilate into Western norms; instead, they expect Australia to bend to theirs. Radical ideologies are imported alongside people, and demonstrations in support of Hamas show just how quickly those ideologies take root.

The Albanese government’s refusal to sign an international statement condemning antisemitism after October 7 was another telling moment. Even when pushed by the United States, Australia declined. Child Holocaust survivors here now call this government an “enemy of the Jews.” That is not hyperbole — it is a grim assessment of a government that prefers to appease radicals rather than defend its Jewish citizens.

The conclusion is stark: Australia’s emphasis on social cohesion is detached from reality. It assumes everyone in the country shares liberal democratic values when plainly they do not. By prioritising the avoidance of “Islamophobia” over confronting Islamist extremism and antisemitism, the Albanese government is laying the groundwork for the kind of social turmoil already tearing Europe apart.

As Gatestone reminds us with Netanyahu’s warning: the hardest decision for a leader is to act before a danger fully materialises. Australia’s leaders, blinded by their own utopian illusions, are failing that test. And ordinary Australians — Jewish and non-Jewish alike — will pay the price.

Fighting Antisemitism and Winning

Given the widespread rise in blatant anti-Semitism around the world following Hamas' medieval massacre of innocent civilians attending a music festival, one has to wonder why it was allowed to persist. After all, in every Western democracy, while citizens have a right to protest, there are a whole swag of laws to ensure that such protests are civil. There are laws protecting property, against physical violence and against hate speech and discrimination.  Many of the demonstrations have clearly violated these, but have had no response from the police.  As a consequence, anti-Semitism has become 'mainstream'. If you do not enforce a law, then it is not the law.

Just on the past weekend, the Glastonbury music festival had a shameful episode where one of the acts had the audience chanting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel hate-speech ..." death, death to the IDF" was chanted by most of the thousands of youth attending the event. 

This shameful episode reminded me the mass rallies in Nazi Germany with Hitler exhorting vile anit-semitism to an adoring crowd. 

So, how can this evil be fought? Australia's Jewish community may have found one way to fight back. They took one of the radical Islamic hate preachers to court under Australia's discrimination act, which rather too broadly criminalises racial vilification. The preacher, whom I shall not name,  had presented vile anti-Semitic sermons and had these circulated on the internet for years. Indeed, following complaints from the community, the Australian state and Federal police had studied the material to determine if hate speech laws had been broken. They had decided not to charge him. Why? The better option is that they thought the laws were not adequate, but possibly, and far worse, they did not want to rock the boat, starting some inter-ethnic conflict by charging a Muslim preacher. 

This same inaction has been evident for increasingly blatant anti-Semitic acts in Australia's capital cities.  These included weekly demonstrations with violent chants, intrusions into the Jewish communities, graffiti, vandalism, and even burning synagogues and the offices of Jewish members of parliament. All in all, it was a rather terrible period for Australia's Jews. 

It was this increasingly violent antisemitism AND the failure of police to act to prevent it, that forced the Jewish community to initiate action under the Racial Discrimination Act.

The judgment was rendered today, with the preacher found guilty. This is a welcome result for all Australians, including peace-loving Muslim Australians, as it establishes a punishment for blatant hate speech. The ruling requires the preacher to pay substantial costs and commit to removing all offensive material from circulation, as well as not to reoffend. It may also prompt the police to reconsider their failure to act and enforce the law in the future. 

This type of action should be taken by all Jewish communities around the world to fight back against the hate speech they have had to face. 

Here is a brief summary of the final judgment by Australia's Channel 10

 https://youtu.be/1vdt9OkbH8w?si=jAwUeTa4m2m40lrK

How to fight Anti-Semitism?

How to fight anti-Semitism?

The recent firebombing of the Addas Synagogue in Melbourne has again highlighted the dramatic rise in antisemitism following Hamas' massacre of Oct 7 '23. 

While many suggestions have been made, Australia's Labor Government seems paralyzed. Albanese's comment when confronted by this question was to simply note that 'antisemitism has been around for a long time." 

Mmm? Really! Yes, antisemitism has been around for a long time, but nowhere near the level experienced recently in Australia. Yes, there have been incidents in the past but whenever was there a firebombing of a synagogue, preceded by burning and painting antisemitic slogans on cars and buildings. No, the current spate of antisemitic acts is an escalation from almost weekly hateful demonstrations with wild crowds screaming anti-Israel anti-Jewish genocidal slogans. 

So what could the government do to redress the damage that has been done and rebuild social cohesion?

A good start would be a clear and specific statement of policy. It should avoid generalizations and certainly not mention Islamophobia

How about something like this?

"Antisemitism is unacceptable in our society and we will act decisively to prevent it. We will investigate any incident and use our existing hate speech laws to charge those found to be responsible. If our existing hate laws are found inadequate, we will strengthen the laws to ensure antisemitic hate speech is prohibited. 

If a person found guilty of hate speech is NOT an Australian citizen they will be deported.

 

The recent Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have gone beyond the normal standards a free society accepts as the right of all citizens. They have interfered with citizens' free use of roads and footpaths. Demonstrators have gone out of their way to hold demonstrations in suburbs with large Jewish populations or in front of Synagogues. They carry abusive anti-Jewish racist signs with outlawed symbols such as the swastika. They intimidate and verbally abuse people going about their business in their suburbs or in front of their synagogues. Demonstrations chant antisemitic genocidal slogans and intimidate and verbally abuse the local citizens. This behaviour is not acceptable in a truly multicultural society which respects the rights of all individuals.

 

As a result, we are introducing new standards for all demonstrations. All demonstrations must have a permit identifying the place and time where it is to take place and the expected number of attendees. Organisers must commit to ensuring all presenters will obey hate speech laws.

Any demonstration which has not been authorized will be disbanded by the police. Anti-Israel demonstrations will NOT be authorized in Jewish-dominated areas, or in proximity of a synagogue. Demonstrations will only be permitted in public parks, not in streets where they interfere with the daily life of citizens.

We will not accept the hate in our streets and will not allow our roads to be ruled by a racist mob.

We respect the right of citizens to protest and will always allow people to meet and demonstrate peacefully. However, this precludes intimidation, vilification or hate speech of any kind, and of course physical or verbal assault, of the types seen in many recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

I have focused these rules on antisemitism as that is the most significant problem in our society today.

We will of course apply similar rules to prevent abuse of any other minority group. We are committed to ensuring all people are treated with respect."

This is of course just a start. It has to be followed up by action. The police must do their job to enforce these decisions. The judiciary must enforce existing laws, and where they are found wanting the government must modify the laws to ensure social cohesion is not eroded by small groups of hate-mongers.

What do you think?

Columbia U shameful antisemitism

 I guess many of us have seen the outbreak of antisemitism in many Ivy League Univesrites. Columbia is one that has received more attention recently due to its encampment where Hamas supporting students have declared they have taken over, Jewish students have been orecpvented from attending classes and have been advised to stay at home. This is all supported by many academics and management has done nothing to stop it.

Watch this Columbia U graduate state her views, she does not hold back!

Well done!

AIM fights back against antisemitism at Harvard

In a recent post ( How to fight back against antisemitism )  I suggested that we can all fight back against the blatant antisemitism and Jew hatred that has exploded in our communities following Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel. My suggestion was to expose the names of those who put their names to petitions calling for protests against Israel/Jews. 

AIM, Accuracy in Media, has done much, much better. Following the many antisemitic rallies, marches and petitions against Israel and Jews in Universities in the US, AIM has set up a series of campaigns to draw attention to antisemitism and to expose the anti-Semites. The mobile billboards on a truck display and shame the leaders of the antisemitic rallies. These have gained results with students losing scholarships and no doubt some will have trouble gaining employment. 

Here is one of the videos; there are many more on the site

As a result of seeing the exposure of their colleagues perhaps some will tone down their rhetoric Or perhaps not. In any case, it proves the point. You can and should have free speech, but you cannot have it anonymously. If you believe strongly protest, speak up, but give your name. Then others will decide whether they believe you have the right character for their scholarship or job. 

How to fight back against antisemitism

There is an unprecedented, unacceptable and unrepresentative explosion of Pro Hamas, anti-Jewish demonstrations in Australia, and much of the Western world. I am not talking of a difference in opinion. Anyone is free to put forward anti-Israel arguments, and also promote Palestinians. 

But the recent marches screaming antisemitic tropes, "Gas the Jews" is not acceptable. Screaming mobs marching in Jewish areas outside synagogues to intimidate Jews, is not acceptable. Driving through Jewish suburbs in convoys with Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans is not acceptable. Indoctrinating school children in anti-Israeli viewpoints is not acceptable. Journalists wanting to introduce bias into their reporting to provide a more sympathetic view to Hamas/Palestinians is not acceptable. Calls to boycott business owned by Jews or associated with Israel is not acceptable. 

Unthinkable though it may seem, all of these have occurred in Australia in the last 6 weeks. This is a serious issue for Australia and the West and will be hard to redress. 

Nevertheless, there is something we can all do.

By taking part in these demonstrations, and by putting their names on petitions these malicious antisemites expose themselves. It means they are no longer hidden. We can then choose not to employ them, refuse to buy their products, to boycott their companies. We can also go out of our way to support the businesses that these antisemites chose to boycott.

With this in mind here is a list of members of the MEAA (Media Entertainment and Art Alliance), the Union that represents a wide range of industries including journalists. 

They formed a pro-Palestine group and have also written a letter to urge MEAA journalists to provide better treatment of Palestine as opposed to Israel. Yes, Journalists want other journalists to be activists in pushing one point of view. 

Here is the list MEAA members in solidarity with Palestine

The activists assume we will stand by while they harass, intimidate, indoctrinate our citizens. We do need to fight back.

We cannot relinquish the streets to the mob!

 Repercussions of Hamas' barbaric attack on Israeli citizens are percolating throughout the world with continued rocket fire by Hamas, the severe bombing of military targets by Israel, and most recently a full-force ground invasion, with the rest of the world polarising. Most Western democracies have stood strongly by Israel and support their mission to eliminate Hamas. But so too, most Western democracies have a noisy minority voicing general anti-Israeli sentiments, together with antisemitic tropes. The minority is too often allowed to march and given implied support by an activist-biased media. Unfortunately, we have been here before. The magnitude of the attack by Hamas is however unprecedented, a ubiquitous word nowadays, so we are in new territory. The coming weeks will tell.

I have been shocked by the barbarism and even more by the many of my fellow citizens who have failed to condemn it but rather support it. I am dismayed by the marches and demonstrations shouting anti-semitic slogans. But most of all I am astounded by the failure of our police to enforce the laws against illegal demonstrations and hate speech. With such a blatant violation of the law, inaction clearly sends a message, that we will not enforce hate speech laws if they are directed at Israel or Jews. It is like a time warp to the 1930s with Hitler gangs and marches. What is the base reason for such moral inversion? Is it playing for Muslim votes as some have excused, or is it something far more serious? Is it plain and simple cowardice? The police have no problem breaking up unauthorised demonstrations by peaceful anti-lockdown protesters, even using rubber bullets to break up the demonstration and arrest large numbers. Yet they have no appetite to break up a belligerent crowd fomenting hatred of Israel and Jews. Is it sympathy with the cause? I don’t know but think it is cowardice. Cowardice in the face of a loud belligerent angry mob. Fair enough they fear that they may be hurt in the melee. But if that is really the case they have the wrong job. We need police who will apply the law without FEAR or favour. Without FEAR! Also, there has been no follow-up on those who clearly broke hate speech laws in their harangues to the crowd. They were identifiable. They clearly broke the law. But was the law enforced?. Were they arrested? Has anyone been charged? Not to my knowledge.

Cowardice in the face of a minority who intimidates even our law enforcement is clearly unacceptable. We cannot, must not, relinquish peace and safety to the rule of the mob. 

It is time to hold the Police Commissioners and the Ministers of Police accountable and replace them with those who have the courage to do their jobs. In NSW we need both the Minister of Police Yasmin Catley and Police Commissioner Karen Webb to be sacked. Premier Minns if you fail to replace these people, then you yourself will share the blame and your electorate will hold you accountable via the ballot box. It will become your failure to replace those who have not done their jobs to keep our streets safe. You cannot abandon the Jewish citizens of your state because they are a small minority. Failure to enforce the law reflects on all of us. How can any of us feel safe if the laws intended to protect us are not enforced?