Antoinette Lattouf: Ex-ABC radio host's Gaza posts 'hugely problematic', court hears

Complaints about a Lebanese ABC radio host sparked an internal investigation, revealing prior social media posts that were “full of anti-Semitic hatred” before she was taken off air, a court has been told.

Antoinette Lattouf stepped into a casual role presenting the Mornings show on ABC Radio Sydney over five days in December 2023.

But she was dismissed after three days on air after sharing a Human Rights Watch post on Instagram saying Israel had used starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.

As a Federal Court unfair dismissal hearing continued on Wednesday, ABC barrister Ian Neil SC said complaints received after Lattouf’s first day on air did not influence the decision to let her go.

Then-managing director David Anderson received some of these complaints, forwarding them onto chief content officer Christopher Oliver-Taylor and other senior ABC staff.

“I am not suggesting we make any changes at this time but the perceived or actual lack of impartiality of her views are concerning,” Mr Oliver-Taylor wrote after Lattouf’s first day on air on December 18.

After an investigation, which found the freelance journalist had been selected under the ABC’s diversity policies, Mr Oliver-Taylor told Mr Anderson she would remain on air until the end of her five-day shift.

He wrote that it would not be reasonable to expect that all Lattouf’s previous posts adhered to ABC editorial guidelines, including those covering impartiality, since she was only working with the broadcaster on a temporary basis.

“We’re not suggesting she’s breached those guidelines, rather making the point the ABC ought to take a reasonable approach,” Mr Oliver-Taylor said.

That evening, Mr Anderson personally inspected Lattouf’s Instagram feed, digging up more posts before expressing further concerns to Mr Oliver-Taylor.

“I think we have an Antoinette issue,” he texted.

“Her socials are full of anti-Semitic hatred.”

He attached a screenshot of a post from the journalist, which under cross-examination on Monday she said had been written as a “cheeky” response to hate mail.

“Hell no, (Israel) should finish off the ethnic cleansing job they started, then move onto the West Bank. Kill and annexe. Then same with Lebanon and Jordan,” Lattouf wrote.

Mr Oliver-Taylor agreed that the posts were “hugely problematic”, saying it would be very hard for Lattouf to remain on air until the end of the week.

Mr Anderson framed the problem in text messages as a reputational issue.

“The perception of our people’s impartiality is as important as their adherence to the policies,” he wrote.

The ABC says Lattouf was let go after sharing the Human Rights Watch comment following a direction from ABC Radio Sydney content director Elizabeth Green not to post about Israel and Gaza.

The freelance journalist has denied being given the direction and claims she was only let go after the ABC caved to pressure from pro-Israeli lobbyists.

She is suing for damages and penalties against the public broadcaster.

The hearing continues.