ABC criticised for ‘one-sided political messaging’ following Spicks and Specks episode
Jewish groups have accused the ABC of ‘divisive, one-sided political messaging’ after its popular music show featured a performance by a singer wearing a ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt.
Jewish groups have accused the ABC of becoming a stage for “divisive, one-sided political messaging” after its popular music show featured a performance by a singer wearing a “Free Palestine” T-shirt.
At the end of Sunday night’s episode of Spicks and Specks, Australian singer Adrian Eagle performed a rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 hit, I Will Survive.
During his performance, the ARIA award winner wore a T-shirt with the statements: “Free Palestine”, “Free West Papua”, “Free your mind”, and “Always was, always will be”.
Eagle changed several lyrics from the original version of the song, including during the chorus, when he sang “they’ve got all their lives to live and they’ve got all their love to give, they will survive, they will survive” while appearing to point at the statements on his shirt.
The chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, Dvir Abramovich, said the performance was a “slap in the face” to Jewish Australians.
“This stunt shattered the trust of countless Australians who expect the ABC to uphold its commitment to remain neutral and apolitical, in line with its charter of ‘independence, integrity, and responsibility’,” Dr Abramovich said.
“For many Jewish Australians, this incident wasn’t just a matter of a slogan on a shirt; it was a loaded symbol with chilling implications.”
Dr Abramovich called on the ABC to issue an apology to Australia’s Jewish community and to “enforce stricter oversight to ensure that taxpayer-funded programs cannot be hijacked by divisive, one-sided political agendas”.
An ABC spokesperson defended the episode, saying that Eagle was showing his support for “a broad range of groups rather than one particular group”.
“This is consistent with Spicks and Specks’ established support for musical performance and artistic expression,” the spokesperson said.
“Any complaints will be investigated by the ABC Ombudsman according to our usual processes,” they added.
As of Monday evening, the episode remained available for streaming on ABC iview.
Eagle said the song was dedicated to “all survivors” and was “a tribute to the innocence of lives lost in Palestine, West Papua, and among Indigenous communities worldwide”.
“As others face battles both externally and internally, ‘Free Your Mind’ seeks to amplify a message of peace and awareness,” Eagle said.
“This shirt, created in collaboration with activist Safa El Samad, symbolises that intention,” he added.
“Through singing this song and wearing this message, I pray to open hearts and minds, fostering peace and compassion.”
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