The Zionist Federation of Australia has filed a formal complaint against journalist Mary Kostakidis in Australian federal court after accusing her of anti-semitism for her reporting on X, writes Joe Lauria.
Mary Kostakidis appearing on CN Live!, where she has been a frequent guest. (CN Live!)
By Joe Lauria
in Sydney, Australia
Special to Consortium News
Prominent journalist Mary Kostakidis is the subject of a formal complaint filed Monday in Melbourne federal court by the Zionist Federation of Australia, which has accused her of anti-semitism for her reporting on Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza.
Four days before filing the complaint, Federation CEO Alon Cassuto was in Israel attending an anti-semitism conference with Issac Herzog, the Israeli president. He posted on X: “Honoured to represent Australian Jewry at the President’s Residence. Out of the ashes of Europe, we built a golden age – 3 generations of pride, resilience & Zionist identity. Antisemitism has surged. But we won’t be defined by hate. Proud Jews. Proud Zionists.”
Cassuto had filed an initial complaint in July 2024 to the Australian Human Rights Commission about two Kostakidis retweets from January 2024, both of which contain video of a speech by the now Israeli-assassinated Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah in which he allegedly called for the ethnic cleansing of Israel.
In Kostakidis’ retweeted video, the late Hezbollah leader says: “Here, you don’t have future, and from the river to the sea, the land of Palestine is for the Palestinian people and for the Palestinian people only … “
Above this Nasrallah quote in one of her retweets, Kostakidis wrote: “Israeli govt getting some of its own medicine. Israel has started something it can’t finish with this genocide.”
Cassuto claims this is “antisemitic” and wants Kostakidis, who was a long-time presenter on the SBS evening news, to apologize, remove the allegedly offensive materials from her X account; promise not to post similar tweets in future and pay his legal costs.
The two sides entered into mediation but reached an impasse last December. Kostakidis then posted a statement on X in January. She said:
“Six months ago a complaint was filed against me under 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act over posts I made on X sharing a speech of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. A number of highly defamatory and gratuitous comments were made about me by several parties around the time of that filing.
On 11 December I engaged in Mediation with the Complainant at the Australian Human Rights Commission. The matter has not resulted in an agreement.
Consequently I have decided to post the following statement with respect to my posts of Nasrallah’s speech, the offence taken, and accusations I am an antisemite, in the hope that it resolves any dispute.
‘I condemn anti-Semitism and racism of any kind.
I did not, and do not, endorse the content of the speech made by Hassan Nasrallah, which I shared on my X account on 4 and 13 January 2024. I accept that some of his comments may be seen as anti-Semitic but that is not a barrier to reporting them.
To the Jews and/or Israelis in Australia who took my posts as an endorsement, I am sorry for their hurt, distress and pain.’”
Alon Cassuto, CEO of the Australian Zionist Federation, at a press conference on July 14, 2024 in which he announced action against Mary Kostakidis. (Australian Zionist Federation/YouTube)
Cassuto responded on X the next day:
“In July 2024, I lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission against former journalist Mary Kostakidis after she shared a call by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for Jews to be ethnically cleansed ‘from the river to the sea.’
This rhetoric, from a proscribed terrorist organisation, constitutes unlawful hate speech, deeply offending and intimidating our community. Yesterday, Ms Kostakidis apologised for the hurt she caused and acknowledged that the content of Nasrallah’s speech she reposted was antisemitic.
She did so, while continuing to regularly post deeply offensive content, including conspiracy theories about the firebombed Adass synagogue in Melbourne. As a result, I am considering my options.
Let’s be clear about what Ms Kostakidis’ statement does say: when Hassan Nasrallah declared, ‘Here you don’t have a future. From the river to the sea, Palestine is for the Palestinians only’, it was antisemitic hate speech. Echoing such calls in Australia constitutes unlawful hate speech.”
Kostakidis sent an email statement to Consortium News and later posted a lengthy tweet in response to Cassuto and an article in The Australian newspaper. She wrote:
“An error both have made is deeming I apologised for my post, which is not the case – I apologised for any distress and hurt it caused. There is a very big difference and I’m surprised The Australian failed in their comprehension of the statement.
Apologising for the post would be an admission I should not have posted the speech, and as such that I would not re offend, so to speak. That is not the case. Journalism cannot be tailored around not causing offence. In this case, the complainant sought legal redress for hurt feelings, which the law permits.
Alon Cassuto asserts Nasrallah’s speech was unlawful, and ‘echoing’ his call is unlawful, thus implying my post was unlawful. I disagree with both assertions.
Another error in his understanding of my statement is that I accepted the excerpt of Nasrallah’s speech ‘was antisemitic’. I in fact stated some of his comments ‘may be seen as’ antisemitic. That is contested, and here is why:
In the clip of the speech I posted Nasrallah did not call for all Jews to leave. He clearly called for dual passport holders to leave. This is an important distinction and goes to the heart of the Middle East conflict.
He is objecting to the long term circumstances that have lead to the genocide – the push to drive Muslim Palestinians out through demographic engineering, with the mass expulsion of Palestinians born there (and rendered stateless), with no right of return, and dual citizenship for Jewish people born anywhere in the world (and, as we know, periodic massacres Israel refers to as ‘mowing the lawn’).
Furthermore, in Julian Assange’s half hour interview of Nasrallah some years ago, the Hezbollah leader articulates his vision for a just peace: one State, where Jews, Muslims and Christians ‘live in peace in a democratic state’ – live together with equal rights. Is that antisemitic? It is certainly anti- Israel. Is being anti-Israel unlawful?
Hassan Nasrallah during a discussion with Iranian officials in 2019. (Khamenei.ir, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)
That goes to the heart of the push to redefine antisemitism to include criticism or rejection of the apartheid state which at present is conducting a genocide.
With regard to the offence at the phrase From the River to the Sea, Israel also uses that phrase, enshrined in law — sovereignty only for Jews from the River to the Sea, and it was the stated policy of the Likud Party since its inception.
Zionists take umbrage at any other party daring to make assertions they regard as their own exclusive God given right. This is not what was granted to Israel in 1948 and they have ignored every UN Resolution since with respect to their creeping land theft.
Since this complaint against me was lodged, there have been 2 Findings/Orders issued by the ICJ confirming the illegality of the occupation, and ICC arrest warrants issued. Israel and its supporters have deemed the ICJ, ICC, UN Secretary General, UN Rapporteur, Amnesty Int’l, HRW, B’Tselem, and The Pope among others are all antisemites, so I am in good company. …
We have all shared Israeli leaders’ far worse comments in regard to the Palestinians — threats they are actually carrying out.
Can you imagine how distressed Palestinian Australians are at the comments of Israeli leaders? No one gives that a thought. Palestinians all over the world have to worry about more than their own feelings. Their families may be under rubble, not counted in what is likely now a grossly inadequate death count.”
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former U.N. correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and other newspapers, including The Montreal Gazette, the London Daily Mail and The Star of Johannesburg. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London, a financial reporter for Bloomberg News and began his professional work as a 19-year old stringer for The New York Times. He is the author of two books, A Political Odyssey, with Sen. Mike Gravel, foreword by Daniel Ellsberg; and How I Lost By Hillary Clinton, foreword by Julian Assange.
MEMO TO: Alon Cassuto
Subject: “Respect, Mary Kostakidis!”
With all due respect, Mr. Cassuto, “follow the river and find the sea,” beginning @ “the river’s edge“ i.e., the FACT is “An error both have made is deeming I apologised for my post, which is not the case – I apologised for any distress and hurt it caused. There is a very big difference and I’m surprised The Australian failed in their comprehension of the statement.” MARY KOSTAKIDIS.
No doubt, “from sea to shining sea,” Mary Kostakidis’ common sense, courage, caution; &, full-blown “CLARITY” is the “language deaf men, women, children can see; &, blind men, women, children can hear.”
Mr. Cassuto, the wholly TRUTH! Mary Kostakidis is crystal clear, Times Up! AND, the Universe, agrees,
……. “No Propaganda on Earth Can Hide the Wound that is Palestine,” Arundhati Roy’s PEN Pinter Prize 2024 Speech @ hxxps://pentransmissions.com/2024/10/15/no-propaganda-on-earth-can-hide-the-wound-that-is-palestine-arundhati-roys-pen-pinter-prize-2024-speech/
TY, Mary Kostakidis, Joe Lauria, CN, et al, “KEEP IT LIT!!!”
I hope everyone is getting the picture by now.
These people are prosecuting a genocide and try to detract by acting as the idiots they are.
Enough is enough!
Enough is enough! These 100% rusted-on pro-Israel supporters – whether described as pro-Zionist or not – are engaged in bully-boy tactics. Israel is deserving of the severest and strongest condemnation for its shameful, immoral and disgraceful conduct – and, to boot, breach of international law!
I for one stand with Mary K.
It is not unreasonable to equate antisemitism with paranoia, as paranoia grasps the slightest thing and assumes the worst. Here are two definitions of paranoia:
“Paranoia is a thought process characterized by irrational suspicion and mistrust of others, often leading to feelings that people are out to harm or deceive you without any evidence.”
“Thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality”
This is the case with those who shout antisemitism to anything and everything connected with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and history that they don’t like – regardless of the accuracy or veracity of the statements.
They seize on everything possible to silence discussion, debate and disagreement. They ignore the fundamental requirements of a free, open and democratic society that relies on tolerance of differing points of view.
In my view, it is a sickness and a mental illness. Nothing less.
These foreign agents have taken over the governments of the entire West and Australia. It needs to stop. They will have us all living in slavery to their dictatorial diktats if we don’t set this situation straight now. They can squawk all they like. I really don’t care at this point. Shut this insanity down!
Great essay!
I wish more Westerners would remember that Palestinians are Semites. Exterminating them is anti-semitism.
If ‘anti caucasianism’ is absurd so equally is ‘antisemitism’. Jews are a clever people so why do they use a stupid word? I suppose over the past many years it has been made into a powerful weapon in Israel’s armoury.
The way they perceive antisemitism is making it good and commendable
Kudos to Mary Kostakidis for her eloquent, clear, and thorough rebuttal to the charges made against her. Please keep us informed if there is anything we can do to aid her defense. I will be happy to contribute.
Thank you Joe, for posting this article. I salute and support writers like Mary Kostakidis, yourself and all the other brave journalists that are speaking the truth amidst the howling riot of the “Proud” Zionist noise machine. Our 1st amendment right is besieged. We are being out flanked and surrounded by Zionist inspired laws that seek to re-define Free Speech as “hate speech”. Once again the time has come to “reach inside the machine…grab the gears….and stop the machine!” (Mario Savio, 1964).
The time has come for all anti-Zionists to stand up and be recognized as the Human Beings we are,… first and foremost. Before and beyond what ever racist epitaph they (the “Proud” Zionists) intend to carve on our tombstone…. or plant over our bull-dozed homes.
Just compare the pictures of Kostakidis and Cassuto with each other. What story does each tell. Which one would you like to be your guest.?
Grad
I have NO USE for these bloody Zionists.