THE AUSTRALIAN
RICHARD FERGUSON
The ABC has had to dump anti-Semitic comments and ban trolls from its Facebook page after it left up anti-Israel conspiracy theories and Hitler memes for weeks.
Anti-Semitic comments were left on two posts on the ABC’s website for up to five weeks, despite its editorial policy demanding all comments be checked, outraging Jewish leaders.
Three of five anti-Israel posts reported to the broadcaster by The Weekend Australian have been removed and two Facebook users banned. The ABC said its moderators focus only on “current posts” and offensive comments on older posts must be reported to be taken down. However, most of the comments that alarmed Jewish leaders appeared on the day, or the day after, the articles were posted.
“Anti-Semitic comments, or any derogatory comments, are not acceptable to the ABC,” a spokesman said.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said he was aware of the comments removed from the ABC News Facebook site. “Anti-Semitism has no place in Australia,” he said.
Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said the ABC had to do more policing: “The pattern emerging from this record strongly suggests the ABC needs to be more focused in acknowledging its responsibility.”
ABC News posted a story on May 20 about Australian-Israeli doctor Michael Harari who brings Syrian children into Israel for treatment, attracting more than 30 Facebook comments. The comment attracting most “likes” was by Facebook user Peter Howland, accusing Israel of backing Islamist terrorism.
A photoshopped picture of an Islamic State supporter donning a mask of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, posted by “Greg McDonald”, was removed.
A post by “Mark Grealish” suggesting Israeli doctors were kidnapping and killing Syrian children for profit was also taken down. “Buy a liver in Israel for 10k and sell it for 100k plus in America. Disgusting … Over 14,000 Syrian children kidnapped, most never seen again, but some bodies discovered missing many internal organs,” the Facebooker wrote.
An ABC News post on May 2 on Hamas’s stance towards Israel still has memes with anti-Semitic overtones in its comments thread.
A picture from user Symon Phesalik shows a wounded child captioned: “How many more innocent Palestinian people are we going to let die under the Satanic Rothschild Israeli regime?”
Mr Phesalik told The Weekend Australian he was not anti-Semitic and was protesting only against the state of Israel. “Zionism has hijacked a religion of peace,” he said.
Commenter Dave Roberts posted a now-removed picture of Adolf Hitler with text saying: “I did Nazi that coming. Did Jew?”
ABC editorial policy states that all content supplied by the public must be moderated to prevent risk to the broadcaster.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry executive director Peter Wertheim said the ABC’s Facebook page had long attracted anti-Semites, despite it claiming to take tackling such comments seriously.
Council research officer Julie Nathan wrote in The Australian in 2014 about offensive Facebook comments after a Four Corners episode. “Several comments referred to Jews as a cancer and called for Hitler to return,” she wrote. Four Corners’ then executive producer Sue Spencer said the comments were removed from its Facebook page soon after. However, the general ABC page had anti-Semitic posts for up to five weeks, said the council.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said the ABC risked normalising anti-Semitism if it did not tackle trolls.
The four other Facebook users quoted did not reply to requests for comment in time for publication.
ABC forced to fight anti-Israel trolls after Facebook hijack
THE AUSTRALIAN
RICHARD FERGUSON
The ABC has had to dump anti-Semitic comments and ban trolls from its Facebook page after it left up anti-Israel conspiracy theories and Hitler memes for weeks.
Anti-Semitic comments were left on two posts on the ABC’s website for up to five weeks, despite its editorial policy demanding all comments be checked, outraging Jewish leaders.
Three of five anti-Israel posts reported to the broadcaster by The Weekend Australian have been removed and two Facebook users banned. The ABC said its moderators focus only on “current posts” and offensive comments on older posts must be reported to be taken down. However, most of the comments that alarmed Jewish leaders appeared on the day, or the day after, the articles were posted.
“Anti-Semitic comments, or any derogatory comments, are not acceptable to the ABC,” a spokesman said.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said he was aware of the comments removed from the ABC News Facebook site. “Anti-Semitism has no place in Australia,” he said.
Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said the ABC had to do more policing: “The pattern emerging from this record strongly suggests the ABC needs to be more focused in acknowledging its responsibility.”
ABC News posted a story on May 20 about Australian-Israeli doctor Michael Harari who brings Syrian children into Israel for treatment, attracting more than 30 Facebook comments. The comment attracting most “likes” was by Facebook user Peter Howland, accusing Israel of backing Islamist terrorism.
A photoshopped picture of an Islamic State supporter donning a mask of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, posted by “Greg McDonald”, was removed.
A post by “Mark Grealish” suggesting Israeli doctors were kidnapping and killing Syrian children for profit was also taken down. “Buy a liver in Israel for 10k and sell it for 100k plus in America. Disgusting … Over 14,000 Syrian children kidnapped, most never seen again, but some bodies discovered missing many internal organs,” the Facebooker wrote.
An ABC News post on May 2 on Hamas’s stance towards Israel still has memes with anti-Semitic overtones in its comments thread.
A picture from user Symon Phesalik shows a wounded child captioned: “How many more innocent Palestinian people are we going to let die under the Satanic Rothschild Israeli regime?”
Mr Phesalik told The Weekend Australian he was not anti-Semitic and was protesting only against the state of Israel. “Zionism has hijacked a religion of peace,” he said.
Commenter Dave Roberts posted a now-removed picture of Adolf Hitler with text saying: “I did Nazi that coming. Did Jew?”
ABC editorial policy states that all content supplied by the public must be moderated to prevent risk to the broadcaster.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry executive director Peter Wertheim said the ABC’s Facebook page had long attracted anti-Semites, despite it claiming to take tackling such comments seriously.
Council research officer Julie Nathan wrote in The Australian in 2014 about offensive Facebook comments after a Four Corners episode. “Several comments referred to Jews as a cancer and called for Hitler to return,” she wrote. Four Corners’ then executive producer Sue Spencer said the comments were removed from its Facebook page soon after. However, the general ABC page had anti-Semitic posts for up to five weeks, said the council.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said the ABC risked normalising anti-Semitism if it did not tackle trolls.
The four other Facebook users quoted did not reply to requests for comment in time for publication.