The ABC is set to explain why it believes its sacking of journalist Antoine Lattouf was legal and justified, after she sued the national broadcaster for ditching her over criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza
Antoinette Lattouf, 41, has sued the ABC for dismissing her just three days into her role presenting the Mornings show on ABC Radio Sydney in December 2023.
She was removed after sharing a Human Rights Watch post on Instagram saying Israel had used starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.
On Wednesday, the ABC’s barrister Ian Neil SC will lay out the case for why the ABC was justified in dismissing Lattouf.
It alleges she disobeyed a direct order not to post anything regarding Israel or Gaza during her five-day casual stint on the program, and breached its editorial policies of impartiality.
On Tuesday, Lattouf denied she had been given any such direction restricting her online posting.
Instead, she said ABC Radio Sydney content director Elizabeth Green had only suggested that she keep a low profile online and eventually agreed that she could post facts from reputable sources.
She pointed out that the ABC and BBC had published articles on the Human Rights Watch report themselves, and that if it was reputable enough to back up news reports, it should also be good enough for social media posts.
Antoinette Lattouf is seeking damages after being taken off air from ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings

‘Why can’t she come down with flu or COVID or a stomach upset? We owe her nothing:’ Ita Buttrose said in an email about Antoinette Lattouf
She is suing for damages and penalties against the public broadcaster.
Lattouf told the court she had received death threats, been publicly derided by the ABC, and been mischaracterised in the Murdoch press.
Consultant psychiatrist Nigel Strauss gave evidence about how her dismissal from the ABC exacerbated her symptoms of previously existing depression and anxiety.
The ABC is expected to call as witnesses its two top leaders at the time of the sacking: managing director David Anderson and chair Ita Buttrose.
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