Antoinette Lattouf was suspended by the ABC following a coordinated campaign by Jewish lawyers, which included sending messages to chairman Ita Buttrose.
Lattouf was fired on December 20 after just three days as a week-long presenter on Radio Sydney’s morning show for her comments on the war in Gaza.
It followed an Instagram post she made that linked to a human rights report accusing Israelis of “using civilian starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.”
In previous social media posts, she had claimed that Israeli soldiers were raping Palestinians and disputed claims that pro-Palestinian protesters in Sydney chanted: “Gas the Jews.”
Now secret WhatsApp messages from an Australian group called Lawyers for Israel have revealed how her appearance on ABC Radio outraged its 156 influential members.
Messages posted in the group show that the powerful lawyers members were encouraged to threaten the ABC with legal action unless they sacked Lattouf.
Lattouf was dumped by the ABC within minutes of her show ending on Wednesday, just hours after a member of the group called for a day of action against her.
Broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf (pictured) was suspended by the ABC following a behind-the-scenes email campaign by Jewish lawyers to get her fired, which targeted chairman Ita Buttrose
Messages posted in the group show that the powerful lawyers members were encouraged to threaten ABC chairman Ita Buttrose (pictured) with legal action unless they fired Lattouf.
Secret WhatsApp messages from an Australian group called Lawyers for Israel have revealed how its appearance on ABC Radio infuriated its 156 influential members
Lattouf is now suing the company for illegally firing her because of her political views, but also in part because of her race and Middle Eastern “cultural background.”
Messages obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald reveal Sydney real estate lawyer Nicky Stein listing the ‘action of the day’ at 6.53am with a string of ABC chiefs and politicians to email on the day Lattouf was sacked.
‘Michelle Rowland is the federal minister of communications. Use this link to ask how Antoinette Lattouf presents the ABC Sydney morning show,” she posted.
‘Article 4 of the ABC Code of Practice must be impartial and the employment of Antoinette is in breach of this clause.
‘Send a copy to 1. ABC Ombudsman 2. David Anderson, Chief Executive of the ABC 3. ABC Board.
“It needs to happen again today… It is important that ABC listens not just to individuals in the community, but especially to lawyers, so that they feel there is a real legal threat.”
She added: ‘I actually wrote to them and told them that I expect a good response from COB today, otherwise I would try to engage a senior advisor.
“I know there’s probably no criminal offense against ABC, but I didn’t say I would take one – I’m just investigating one.
“I told them to terminate her employment immediately.”
By mid-morning, another group member said ABC president Ita Buttrose had replied to seven emails and encouraged others to keep writing to her and others.
“It doesn’t go unnoticed,” she added.
Lawyer Robert Goot, vice-president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, revealed he was told Lattouf would be ‘off morning radio from Friday’ because of her stance on Israel.
After Ms. Stein said three days away was “too long,” Mr. Goot told members to “keep writing.”
The leaked WhatsApp message reveals how the group had campaigned for the ABC to fire Lattouf from the ABC Sydney morning show over her comments on Israel and Palestine
By mid-morning, Ms. Stein had just received a response from Buttrose to her email threatening the company with legal action.
“Dear Mrs. Stein,” she said. ‘ Thanks for your email. The contents are noted.
“I have forwarded your email to Chris Oliver-Taylor, ABC’s Chief Content Officer, who is looking into this matter.”
Lattouf was fired less than three hours after the update was posted on the WhatsApp group.
An unnamed lawyer had previously posted in the message group: “Clearly the Israeli/Jewish lobby is back at work!!!”
Victorian family law mediator Deborah Weiner added: ‘We’re obviously terrible at it, given the amount of bad press we get (laughing face)’.
After it emerged that Lattouf was suing the ABC, Ms Weiner ridiculed the radio host’s Jewish legal representative, Josh Bornstein, of Maurice Blackburn’s lawyers.
“Bornstein?” she posted on January 11. ‘Traitor! (sic)’
Another asked: ‘It seems like an expensive undertaking. What could she get in compensation? She lost two days of work because she was fired?
“She had a contract until the end of that week.”
Another unnamed attorney responded, “She’ll probably say she’s damaged her reputation, she can never get another job, she’s in mental anguish, blah blah blah. Pay me $10 million dollars.”
There is no suggestion that the WhatsApp messaging group was set up by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry or any other recognized Australian Jewish community.
Antoinette Lattouf (pictured) is now suing the company for illegally firing her because of her political views, but also partly because of her race and Middle Eastern ‘cultural background’.
The council distanced itself from the reports and the campaign to have Lattouf sacked by the ABC, although they said they approved her dismissal.
“The ECAJ has not contacted the ABC about Lattouf, nor have we called for her resignation,” co-CEO Alex Ryvchin told Daily Mail Australia.
“This was a citizens’ initiative by individuals exercising their right to express their concerns, and the ABC decided to act to protect its integrity and standards.
“In light of her behavior, we believe they did absolutely the right thing.”
The ABC said the source of the complaints was not relevant to its procedures.
“The ABC has a transparent complaints process and responds accordingly, regardless of the source of the complaint,” a spokesperson said.
Lattouf’s law firm Maurice Blackburn denied being the source of the WhatsApp messages and declined to comment further.
Daily Mail Australia has also contacted Ms Stein and Ms Weiner for comment.