There have been many harrowing examples of antisemitism presented to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. It is now turning its attention to the role of the media, particularly social media, and next comes a spotlight on the ABC and SBS. There is a danger that the Commission will be overly influenced by the anti-ABC lobby.

There have been thousands of submissions to the Commission including from the ABC, ABC Alumni, and ABC Friends. They each question the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism because its application would restrict legitimate debate and undermine the ABC’s editorial independence. It is not antisemitic to accurately report the actions of the Israeli government, the IDF and the settlers.

The ABC is committed and obliged to cover both sides of a contested conflict. It must air legitimate criticism of all sides and it must not be punished for its impartiality, which is what is proposed by Gillian Segal, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, as an adviser to the Commission.

The ABC’s editorial standards are unequivocal on hate speech. It has more rigorous editorial and complaints processes than any other media organisation in Australia. Hopefully the Commission will recognise that the impartial role of the ABC (and SBS) is crucial to both exposing antisemitism and identifying its complex causes.

Some of those who want to curtail the ABC’s independence (and undermine its objectivity) are trying to use accusations of antisemitism to influence ABC editorial standards and to punish it for a lack of bias in their direction. There is no credible evidence of systemic bias in ABC’s coverage of the Middle East. It is one of the key providers of accurate reporting.

In fact the ABC is the most trusted source of impartial coverage of Israel and antisemitism and is therefore a core source of social cohesion in Australia. It is to be hoped that the Commission will see through the noise and lobbying and support the ABC’s editorial independence and existing high standards of impartiality.