First of all, here's what we have for you this week:
- Killer Grabs: Quotes from around the traps.
- The Age published a factual, accurate story about anti-Israel protests. Then they deleted it — By Osman Faruqi
- The Good Ones: The best journalism, opinion and entertainment for you to enjoy.
On this week's episode of the podcast, we spoke about seemingly deliberate attempts to link an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue with protest action at a weapons manufacturer involved in Israel's war in Gaza. Journalistically, it seemed like a dangerous error and one driven by a desire in sections of the media to criminalise protest.
What we didn't know then was that the Albanese government's review into anti-semitism would recommend adopting that kind of conflation as federal policy. The government's special envoy to combat anti-semitism Jillian Segal has recommended that all federal agencies and policies adopt the controversial IHRA definition of anti-semitism — a definition that includes some criticisms of Israel as anti-semitic — and that cultural funding and even public broadcasting should be tied to that definition.
If officially adopted and pursued to its logical end point, it would have the effect of forcing critics of Israel out of arts, culture and public life in general.
Yesterday, as those recommendations were made public, we reported on how lobbyists are already gearing up for the fight ahead with an exclusive on a new attack dossier being circulated against Khaled Sabsabi.
Today, we continue our coverage by examining how thoughtful reporting, which made distinctions between anti-semitism and anti-Israel protest, was erased and facts knowingly removed from journalism that is meant to inform.
Killer Grabs
"Research commissioned by the Special Envoy highlights a stark divide between Australians under 35 and those over 35, reflecting generational differences in media consumption and the perceptions younger Australians’ have of the Middle East and the Jewish community...
...These differences in attitude to Jewish Australians and to the existence of the State of Israel have informed many of the elements in this Plan." — Jillian Segal in her 'Plan to Combat Anti-Semitism'.
The special envoy explicitly says in her report that her plan is based on changing the attitudes of people under-35 towards the State of Israel?
We look forward to anyone in mainstream media pointing out this is a plan for the federal government to censor and create propaganda in order to make younger people think positively about a foreign government.
"Seems like a terrible idea.” — Co-chair of the ABC union house committee.
As reported in Crikey, ABC staff voted down a proposal from management that would give staff a 3 per cent pay rise, in exchange for staff guaranteeing they won't strike in the next 12 months.
Co-chair of the house committee Michael Slezak summed up the feeling of staff succinctly. But we still wonder, why would management want to freeze industrial action? Could we see more job cuts before the end of the year?
"I reprised a line from a Clint Eastwood movie. It was something like: ‘I’m here with my tall skinny mate’." — Liberal leader Sussan Ley, on the time she pulled a gun on a man who approached her as she was camping alone.
She's talking about Scarface, right? She means Al Pacino's iconic line: "Say hello to my little friend" right?
The Age published a factual, accurate story about anti-Israel protests. Then they deleted it
By Osman Faruqi
The Age newspaper has wiped an article from its site that featured quotes from prominent pro-Palestine activists condemning last Friday's alleged arson attack on the East Melbourne synagogue, as well as details that made it clear other protests that day, targeting a restaurant and a defence manufacturer were specifically anti-Israel, not anti-semitic, in nature.
The entire article has been overwritten with a new story, written by different journalists, removing quotes from Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni, as well as factual details that explained why certain sites were targeted by protestors, and categorised a series of unlinked, anti-Israel protests as "anti-semitic" attacks akin to the synagogue arson incident.
