Former SBS newsreader Mary Kostakidis has apologised for sharing comments by former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, which she acknowledged “may be seen as anti-Semitic.”
Ms Kostakidis’ apology comes amid ongoing legal and public disputes with the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) over allegations she promoted anti-Israel and anti-Semitic views online.
The case was taken to the Australian Human Rights Commission, but mediation in December 2024 failed to resolve the dispute.
The controversy first began when Ms Kostakidis retweeted a video of Nasrallah in January 2024, where he stated, “Here you don’t have a future. From the river to the sea, Palestine is for the Palestinians only.”
Statement re CEO, Zionist Federation of Aus V Kostakidis
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Six months ago a complaint was filed against me under 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act over posts I made on X sharing a speech of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. A number of highly defamatory and gratuitous comments…Mary Kostakidis (@MaryKostakidis) January 2, 2025
While Ms Kostakidis denied endorsing the comments, she has since admitted they could be perceived as anti-Semitic.
“I condemn anti-Semitism and racism of any kind,” she wrote on social media on Thursday, January 2.
“To the Jews and/or Israelis in Australia who took my posts as an endorsement, I am sorry for their hurt, distress and pain.”
ZFA chief executive Alon Cassuto criticised the apology, claiming it was insincere, as Ms Kostakidis continues to share content he described as “deeply offensive.” This includes conspiracy theories linking Israel to historical events like the Kennedy assassinations and Jeffrey Epstein’s activities.
Source: The Australian
