ABC Managing Director accused of ignoring Jewish leaders’ plea over Q&A

ABC managing director David Anderson. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The snubbing comes after a letter outlining concerns over tonight’s episode of Q&A was delivered on Friday.

In it, Australia’s peak Jewish organisations called on the ABC to reconsider the inclusion of two panellists over allegations of their “anti-Israel and anti-Semitic positions” as well as previous support for Hamas.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies requested Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni to be dumped from the broadcast.

It comes after the charity he founded was reported to be sending money to a Gaza-based health organisation accused of being affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror group, the PFLP. The letter, co-signed by ECAJ president Jillian Segal and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip, also urged caution over the appearance of UN special rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese and allegations she had made a series of “anti-Israel” comments.