- by M Santos
- The Guardian
- Issue #2154
Mary Kostakidis. Photo: Adam Thomas – flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)
On 31 March the Zionist Federation of Australia lodged a case in the Federal Court against Mary Kostakidis, one of many journalists who called out the Israeli genocide of Palestinians, taking her to court, alleging antisemitism. The case will go before the Court on 29 July for a strike-out hearing, which if successful would see all charges dismissed.
The atmosphere surrounding Kostakidis’ case has changed considerably since it was launched because the inhumane extermination process in Gaza is now much more widely known and condemned by both experts on genocide and the general public.
“Indeed, the case is now proceeding at a time when the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism is losing hold of the national psyche, especially as it’s proceeding in the wake of the recent Federal Court victory of journalist Antoinette Lattouf, which recognised the Israel lobby had hunted her down, while Federal Court Justice Angus Stewart has ruled anti-Zionism is not antisemitism,” said Paul Gregoire writing for Sydney Criminal Lawyers.
Former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr says: “I’m alarmed once more by the bullying of the Israel lobby. It is intent on closing down opposition to the genocide in Gaza. If they succeed in characterising Mary’s reporting as offensive, who will be next? I guess anyone who uses the G word or calls out apartheid laws or racist settlers.”
Carr himself experienced the Israel lobby’s bullying when as NSW premier he was subjected to extreme pressure to prevent the 2004 UNSW peace award going to Palestinian politician and activist Hanan Ashrawi. Carr stood his ground and didn’t cave in.
Pulitzer-prize winning US journalist Chris Hedges said it as it is: “Mary Kostakidis is being lynched by the Zionist Federation of Australia for apartheid Israel. Speak out on Palestinians’ behalf, denounce the genocide, call for a ceasefire and arms embargo on Israel, demand a Palestinian state and you’re branded an antisemite.”
“Antisemitism’s weaponisation is meant to justify genocide and silence dissent,” said Hedges. “Those who play this mendacious game will regret it. It paves the road for far-right extremists and protofascists extinguishing what’s left of our open societies.”
Kostakidis is not the only journalist being bullied by the Zionist lobby.
“… my experience is instructive and disturbing: because of its effects on others in the media. I was accused of antisemitism because my social media account relentlessly, but not exclusively, highlighted the slaughter of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government by retweeting updates from the conflict,” well known cricket journalist Peter Lalor said.
“I retweet because I feel helpless, sickened and ashamed because such injustices and inhumanity could occur in my lifetime,” Lalor told the 2025 NSW parliamentary inquiry on antisemitism.
“I continue to do it because I believe the mainstream media is derelict and compromised in its coverage of what for all intents and purposes is a war crime and ethnic cleansing.”
SEN Radio (“the home of sport”) sacked Lalor from his position as cricket commentator in February because he was accused of being antisemitic and making people feel “unsafe.”
Readers can support Mary Kostakidis at standwithmary.org
