Furious backlash erupts against the ABC after it refused to let members of the public take part in controversial Q+A episode – as bizarre debate plays out in empty studio

The ABC decided not to have a live studio audience for Monday night’s Q+A program as panellists engaged in tense discussions about the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.

Host Patricia Kavelas, who made the announcement at the beginning of the episode, acknowledged the “difficult and sensitive discussion” that was about to take place, given the sensitive subject matter.

There was also a “very significant police contingent” stationed outside the ABC Melbourne studios, she said.

‘We believe in your right to ask questions and that is a right we will always defend. Tonight, our panelists will listen to your questions via video link as we explore an issue that is rocking our Jewish and Arab communities in the Diaspora,” she said.

“We’re going to have a robust, healthy and respectful debate.”

At one point the debate became extremely tense, with Karvelas calling for calm.

“Deep breath, deep breath and I hope the country has one too,” she said.

The panel included Assistant Secretary of State Tim Watts, the former Australian Ambassador to Israel and Dave Sharma, the head of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, Nasser Mashni, lawyer and national chair of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council Mark Leibler, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese.

The discussion was largely civil but became tense on several occasions when Mr Leibler and Mr Mashni clashed over issues including the protests in Australia.

The panel was also asked whether the popular chant heard at pro-Palestine rallies: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was actually chanted to “wipe out Israel.”

Mr Leibler said the saying was a “racist comment” and implied there was “no room for a state of Israel”.

He accused pro-Palestinian protests of celebrating violence, but his comments were immediately criticized by Mr Mashni and Ms Albanese.

‘This does not fit in with Jewish tradition. What are the Palestinians doing? Whether it’s 9/11 or October 7, they hand out lollipops and celebrate when people are hacked to death. Don’t know. It is a fact. It is reality,” he said.

Mr. Mashni said Mr. Leibler “smeared our entire people.”

“We’re being killed, we’re being blamed, we’re being smeared,” he said.

“The reality is we have 75 years of oppression and 75 years of denial. Palestinians are just people. We have the right like everyone else to live in peace and holiness.”

Ms Albanese said Mr Mashni’s comments were “inappropriate and disrespectful”.

“Speaking of what Hamas did: war crimes… I condemned it as such,” he said.

“When it comes to killing Palestinians… these are war crimes and to some extent this may amount to crimes against humanity under international law, as that includes deliberate starvation and deliberate extermination.”

Host Patricia Kavelas, who made the announcement at the beginning of the episode, acknowledged the “difficult and sensitive discussion” that would take place given the sensitive subject matter.

There was little praise for the program online, with some viewers accusing the show of bias and losing the chance to have Ms Albanese on the panel.

“The worst #qanda I’ve seen so far,” one X user wrote.

‘Francesca is the international legal expert and she was completely ignored and all they did was effectively attack Nasser on live television. It barely touched the surface of the problems Gaza faces today.”

Stella Yee, former Labor candidate for the Melbourne seat of Menzies, accused Kavelas of not treating her guests equally.

“So far I don’t think Patricia Karvelas is questioning Mark Leibler in the same way as Nasser Mashni,” Ms. Yee tweeted.

“Just look who interrupts/interrupts them while they’re talking. Also look at who gets more airtime.’

But some saw a bias in the other direction.

‘The host was biased. And all Nasser’s lies and hatred on display were definitely smug around the October 7 event and saying from the river to the sea just for his pleasure,” another X user tweeted.

Monday night’s discussion comes as Foreign Minister Penny Wong faced criticism after calling on Israel to “comply with international humanitarian law” over the government’s attack on civilians in the Gaza Strip.

“We know that Hamas is a terrorist organization. It has shown it has no respect for international law, but Australia is a democracy and so is Israel, and the standards we aspire to and accept are higher,” she said on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.

Mr Watts said that while a “call for a humanitarian pause is the necessary first step”, much more needs to be done.

“What we said is that hostages must be released. Hamas must stop its rocket attacks on Israel,” he said.

“It must stop using civilians in Gaza as human shields and for lasting peace in the region we must dismantle Hamas.”

Mr Sharma, who was also a former MP for the federal seat of Wentworth, which has a large Jewish population, said Hamas must be “driven out of political power”.

“War is a terrible thing, but we must not forget how it started: the terrorist attacks of October 7,” he said.

‘Hamas climbed in through the fence and slaughtered children in their dens. Parents murdered in front of their children, raped, kidnapped, murdered and a large number of people defiled.

There was little praise for the program online, with some viewers accusing the show of bias and squandering the opportunity to have UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on the panel.

“If you leave them there, there will be more bloodshed, more loss of life and more conflict.”

Mr. Sharma also said political leaders and law enforcement must do more to “denounce” anti-Semitic behavior. He said religious services at synagogues have been interrupted and Jewish businesses have been boycotted and defaced since the Oct. 7 attack.

‘That is not acceptable in Australia. No matter what your feelings are in a conflict, that is absolutely not acceptable,” Sharma said.

When Karvelas asked who failed, he singled out Senator Wong and criticized her response to the pro-Palestinian protest in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield, which has a high Jewish population.

Mr Watts defended Senator Wong’s response, who tweeted, among other things, that the violence was unacceptable.

“(She) said it was good that they (the protesters) had apologized. Well, it was good… but it shouldn’t have happened,” he said.

‘If the line is crossed here, that is not the case: there is a mistake here on all sides. We must call out the party that crosses that line.”

Mr Watts disagreed with the criticism.

“There are few people in this country who have a longer track record of fighting prejudice in this country than Penny Wong,” he said.

‘Penny Wong absolutely condemned anti-Semitism during. Anyone who tries to undermine her credibility on this issue is, quite frankly, trying to create disagreement on this issue.”

Pictured: Nasser Mashni, head of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network

Pictured: Mark Leibler, National Chairman of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered opposite the synagogue during a Shabbat service after Burgertory, a popular burger joint in the city, was set on fire on Friday.

There were clashes between police and demonstrators and the Shabbat service was cancelled.

Mr Mashni said the gathering in Caulfield, in a park across the road from a synagogue where Friday services were held, was not a protest but an “anti-racism vigil”.

“They prayed and sang anti-racist songs,” he said.

Karvelas wondered if “it was okay,” even though “the Jewish people were terrified in Caulfield after that night,” Mr. Mashni emphasized that it was.

“I hope for a better tomorrow,” he said.

“Can’t we agree that as Australians we need to have conversations, we need to talk about a space where we’re all together?”

Ms Albanese also disagreed with Leibler’s accusation that she and Mashni had “made it clear that in their view Israel has no right to exist as a state.”

She said she found that statement “inappropriate and disrespectful.”