Australian Court Rules ABC Unlawfully Fires Journalist Over Gaza Post

Australian journalist Antoinette Lattouf successfully won a wrongful dismissal case against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) after being removed from her short-term radio presenting role following a social media post critical of Israel's military conduct in Gaza. The Federal Court, led by Justice Darryl Rangiah, ruled that ABC unlawfully terminated her contract due to her political opinion, ordering compensation of at least A$70,000 with potential additional penalties pending. The court found that ABC's decision was influenced by an orchestrated campaign from pro-Israel lobbyists and internal panic rather than any breach of social media policy or racial discrimination. Lattouf, an anti-racism campaigner of Lebanese heritage, had shared a Human Rights Watch report accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, a point Israel denies. ABC's management acknowledged the damage to its credibility and pledged to overhaul social media policies following the ruling. The case raised wider concerns about media independence in Australia and the treatment of culturally diverse staff amid politicized conflicts.