Australian Court Says Journalist Critical of Israel Was Wrongfully Fired
An Australian court ruled on Wednesday that the country's main public broadcaster had illegally fired a journalist for reasons that included a social media post critical of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.
The journalist, Antoinette Lattouf, had sued the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, saying it had taken her off the air in December 2023 for expressing a political opinion. The ABC removed her after she made an Instagram post highlighting a Human Rights Watch report that accused Israel of 'using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.'
Her dismissal touched off heated debates within the taxpayer-funded ABC, one of Australia's most prominent news organizations, about how and by whom the war should be covered. The broadcaster maintained that Ms. Lattouf had violated its social media guidelines and that because she was a freelance contractor, filling in on a morning radio program, she was never fired.
But in the Federal Court of Australia's ruling, Justice Darryl Rangiah wrote that expressing her political opinion was one reason ABC had fired Ms. Lattouf, which he called a violation of the country's labor laws. He ordered the broadcaster to pay her 70,000 Australian dollars, about $45,500, in compensation. Further legal proceedings will determine whether the ABC will pay additional financial penalties.
Ms. Lattouf was already an outspoken critic of Israel's actions in Gaza and a frequent contributor to the ABC when she was tapped as a fill-in host, less than three months after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, setting off the war. She was three days into a five-day stint when the ABC told her she would not be going on the air for the rest of her contract.
In her short time hosting the radio show 'Sydney Mornings,' the ABC had received a barrage of complaints — which the judge described as an 'orchestrated campaign' — urging it to take Ms. Lattouf off the air. They questioned her impartiality and accused her of being antisemitic, according to testimony in the case.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Plea for end to Gaza conflict after Mideast ceasefire
The conflict in Gaza should end following the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, a senior minister says. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says the situation between Iran and Israel should not draw attention from that in Gaza. "We want to see a return of Israeli hostages, absolutely we do," she told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday. "But when you look at the catastrophic consequences of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the humanitarian aid being prevented from entering Gaza and being distributed, the number of deaths we continue to see, I think it's important. "Most people see that these two conflicts are related and we need to make sure that we are urging peace in both circumstances." Israel's violence in Gaza restarted after Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation, invaded the nation and killed about 1200 people and abducted 250 others on October 7, 2023. Israel's bombardment, aid blockages and military action in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 people and left many more on the brink of starvation. The situation comes just days after Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire in military strikes between the two countries. The 12-day conflict saw the US bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. But concern still remains for more than 3000 Australians stranded in Iran. While thousands have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for assistance to leave the country, border restrictions and flight path closures have hampered efforts. Ms Plibersek said work was under way to bring Australians home. "Australia's interest in this is predominantly in making sure that Australians who are caught up in this conflict are able to get safely out of Iran," she said. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said it was important for a ceasefire to hold in the region. "It is time to be able to shift back towards diplomacy ... it's in the interests of peace for Iran to not have a nuclear weapons capability," he told Sky News. "Iran has been in breach of international obligations (on nuclear weapons) and the US strikes were targeted very specifically at the potential of nuclear weapons from Iran, and we are glad that those setbacks have occurred."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Capability to dictate Australian defence spending
Lifting the federal defence budget will be based on what Australia's military can achieve, rather an arbitrary dollar figure, a senior minister says. Pressure has mounted on the Albanese government to lift defence spending, after NATO allies agreed to boost theirs to five per cent of GDP. While Australia has pledged to increase its spend to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, the US has called for a rise to 3.5 per cent. But Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia was already lifting its spending on the military, which would also centre on the ability of the armed forces to protect the country. "We start with the capability, we don't start with the dollars, and that's how we work with every financial decision that the government makes," Mr Burke told Sky News on Sunday. "With those capability decisions, we are already spending more than was spent before we came to office." Despite the push from the US, Mr Burke said Australia's relationship with America was not at risk. "The relationship with the United States is really important," he said. "We have mature, decent, respectful conversations with the United States, but as I say, the conversation doesn't start with the dollars at our end." Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said the instability seen around the world reinforced the need for countries like Australia to spend more on defence. "We are seeing authoritarian regimes across the globe flexing their muscles, and open, democratic societies like ours need to stand up for what we believe in, and need to make sure we achieve peace through deterrence," he told Sky News. "There's a range of things that are very clear that we need to spend on ... and there's a whole series of areas which we're seeing are underfunded right now." Before the federal election, the opposition had pledged to increase the defence budget to three per cent of GDP. However, there was uncertainty about where the extra money would come from. Mr Taylor said the budget for the military should be increased, regardless if there was pressure from the US. "If a government is not in a position to keep its people safe, then it has failed as a government," he said. "This is a disaster for Australians and for Australia, we need to get serious about it, and I'm going to continue to hold the government to account on this, because this is a failure from our government."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hamas co-founder and October 7 massacre mastermind 'killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza Strip'
A co-founder of Hamas and mastermind behind the October 7 massacre has been killed in an airstrike, Israel has claimed. The Israel Defence Forces released a statement on Saturday evening saying it 'eliminated' Hakham Muhammad Issa al-Issa in Sabra, western Gaza on Friday. He arrived in the besieged Palestinian territory in 2005 from Syria, and was reportedly with his wife and grandson during the attack. Asaad Abu Sharia — head of the Mujahideen Brigades, which operates independently of Hamas but collaborates closely with militants from Palestinian Islamic Jihad's armed wing, Saraya Al Quds, — also died in the operation, the IDF said. 🔴 ELIMINATED: eliminated Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa—one of the founders of Hamas' military led Hamas' force build-up, training, and planned the October 7 massacre. As Head of Combat Support, he advanced aerial & naval attacks against IDF & ISA will… — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 28, 2025 At the time of his death, al-Issa was serving as head of Hamas' combat support headquarters. As a founding members of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades' military academy, al-Issa is said to have trained thousands of terrorists, the Jerusalem Post reported. And as a representative on Hamas' general security council, al-Issa played a significant role in the planning and execution of the group's horrific assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. He played pivotal role in helping to rebuild Hamas' organisational systems that were damaged by Israeli forces over the last several months. The IDF said in a statement: 'The IDF & (Israel Security Agency) will continue to locate and eliminate all terrorists involved in the October 7 massacre.' Israel has killed several high-ranking Hamas officials over the last 18 months, including the group's chief Mohammed Sinwar last month. Israel's retaliatory response to October 7 has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-backed health officials, and destroyed much of Gaza's coastal territory. US President Donald Trump on Friday indicated that a peace deal between Israel and Hamas may come into force within the next week, although it was not clear whether it would be a temporary or permanent ceasefire.
