Australian news group seeks explanation from anti-Zionists over sham advert names
Nine, which owns The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, said the 'Jewish Council of Australia' had 'not adhered to' terms and conditions agreed to by all advertisers
The owner of two national Australian newspapers is seeking an explanation from a Jewish anti-Zionist group as to why it failed to properly confirm that all names in a advertised signed letter opposing a visit to the country by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog were genuine before submission.
Nine Entertainment, which owns both The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, responded after Jewish News reported on Monday that an ad placed by the ‘Jewish Council of Australia’ had contained numerous questionable names. These included the Hebrew words for “a**e licker”, three individuals who served as kapos in Nazi concentration camps, and a self-described Jewish Australian who has previously said that “Hitler’s only mistake was stopping too soon.”
At least two other people listed as signatories, David and Tammi Slade, have made it clear that they did not sign the letter in question and that they strongly oppose its position.
A spokesperson for Nine told Jewish News: “There are very clear terms and conditions that all advertisers agree to that make clear they are solely responsible for all copy in their advertisement. We are deeply concerned that this was not adhered to by the Jewish Council of Australia and are seeking an explanation for why the conditions were breached.”
In a statement released to Australian media on Tuesday, the anti-Zionist group said it they had gone through “a number of review processes to delete duplicates, antisemitic and offensive names which were submitted by malicious actors. Unfortunately a handful of names with offensive and obscure historical references, and names of real Jewish people falsely submitted by others, slipped through the cracks.
“Some Jewish people were also included in the list who are genuine signatories but have the same names as others in the Jewish community. That cannot be avoided.”
Despite the embarrassment, the organisation still has the advertisement featured on its social media, encouraging those who agree with its position to “spread the word”. The JCA has opposed President Herzog’s visit to Australia, incorrectly accusing him of being “a leader whose rhetoric has been cited by the ICJ as evidence of genocidal intent”. In reality, as pointed out by many, including repeatedly by Herzog himself, an excerpt of his speech, taken out of context, has instead been cited by those who made submissions to the ICJ accusing Israel of genocide.
Speaking to Australia’s ABC News radio on Monday, the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) described the ‘Jewish Council of Australia’ as “really almost a microgroup, it’s irrelevant…an outlier.” The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) referred to the JCA as “the Jewish Clowncil”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
