‘Standing up for the people of Gaza is not antisemitic’: Usman backs dumped cricket journalist

SEN Radio has parted ways with prominent cricket journalist Peter Lalor halfway through Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka over his social media activity relating to Palestine.

Lalor was told on the final morning of the first Test by SEN chief executive Craig Hutchison that his services were no longer required.

Cricket commentator Peter Lalor.

Lalor’s X feed includes re-posts of news stories about Israeli attacks in Gaza, and about the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Australian opening batter Usman Khawaja spoke out in support of Lalor on Monday night after the news broke.

Usman Khawaja’s Instagram post.Credit: Instagram

“Standing up for the people of Gaza is not antisemitic nor does it have anything to do with my Jewish brothers and sisters in Australia, but everything to do with the Israeli government and their deplorable actions,” Khawaja posted on Instagram.

“It has everything to do with justice and human rights. Unfortunately hatred towards the Jewish and Muslim community will always exist. Pete is a good guy with a good heart. He deserves better.”

Lalor, formerly the chief cricket writer at The Australian, was used by SEN as a commentator in Galle. He also works as a commentator for Seven and writes and podcasts for the Cricket Et Al Substack.

Lalor released a statement on Monday night in which he said he had received two calls from senior management at SEN on the third day of the Galle Test, and was informed the following morning that he could not no longer work for them.

“I was told in one call there were serious organisations making complaints; in another I was told that this was not the case,” Lalor wrote in his statement.

“Perhaps I misunderstood. I was told there were accusations I was antisemitic which I strongly objected to. I was told my retweeting was not balanced, and insensitive to one side and that many people had complained.

One of Peter Lalor’s re-posts on X.Credit: X

“I was asked by station boss Craig Hutchison, who was civil, if I didn’t care that my retweeting of events in Gaza made Jewish people in Melbourne feel unsafe. I said I didn’t want anyone to feel unsafe. Of course, I care. I have friends who are frightened and have heard the fear in their voices during conversations. It is an awful situation. But so is Gaza. It was a brief and cordial call.

“The following day Hutchison told me that because the ‘sound of my voice made people feel unsafe’ and that people are ‘triggered by my voice’, I could not cover the cricket for them any more.”

In a statement provided to this masthead on Monday, SEN confirmed it had parted ways with Lalor ahead of the second Test, which starts on Thursday, also in Galle.

“Sports Entertainment Network confirms it has parted ways with Peter Lalor, a freelance commentator within SEN’s cricket coverage,” read the statement.

Hutchison said: “We’ve been in dialogue through the back half of the [first] Test about some of the commentary on Peter’s private social media feed. Peter and I have a different view of the impact of that in the Australian community.

“SEN Cricket is a celebration of differences and nationalities and a place where our SEN audience can escape what is an increasingly complex and sometimes triggering world.

“We respect Pete as a journalist and long-time contributor to the game but also acknowledge the fear that many families in our community feel right now, and we also need to respect that.”

Lalor’s SEN colleagues in Sri Lanka were informed about the decision on Sunday morning.

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