Lawyers at centre of Antoinette Lattouf furore receive death threats, online abuse

Members of the Lawyers for Israel WhatsApp group receive a torrent of online abuse after coverage revealed their complaints to the ABC.

Lawyers at the centre of the Antoinette Lattouf sacking furore have received a torrent of online abuse, including being called “Jewish rodents”, and death threats suggesting they’d be “hung from a bridge”, after media coverage revealed their complaints to the ABC before the radio presenter was sacked in December.

Emails and messages were sent to members of the Lawyers for Israel WhatsApp group, which Nine newspapers revealed last week had written to the corporation’s chair, Ita Buttrose, and managing director David Anderson complaining about Lattouf.

The newspapers reported the group had encouraged members to write to the ABC citing Lattouf had allegedly breached the broadcaster’s code of practice.

Group members whose names were disclosed as part of Nine’s coverage have since received death threats, abuse and had their families outed on social media platforms.

“You racist bunch of genocidal c--ts hiding behind a veil, the chickens have come to roost … (you) pieces of shit,” said one email – obtained by The Australian – to some group members.

Journalist Antoinette Lattouf is taking the national broadcaster to the Fair Work Commission over her December sacking. Picture: David Swift

One lawyer received a message on Facebook that said “little b--ch … I’ve got your face now, it’ll be spreading like the Palestinian wave”.

“Jewish rodent,” another account messaged one of the lawyers. “Tick-tock, you’re going to be hung from a bridge very soon.”

An email read: “You were exerting undue influence on our national broadcaster in favour of a foreign entity … we will lodge a complaint against you with the Law Society to strip you of your ability to practise law.”

Ms Lattouf alleges she was sacked for her political opinions and race. Picture: Instagram

Another user, on social media platform X, posted a picture of one of the lawyers, with her husband and three children, wearing kippahs.

Other emails included threats that “(your) business would disappear before your eyes”.

The Australian understands at least one of the lawyers reported the matter to police after receiving threatening phone calls saying “we’re coming for you”.

On Friday, Nine’s editorial leaders defended the reporting to a reader who wrote in complaining about the story.

“The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported impartially on a matter of significant public interest, that being the dismissal of an on-air presenter from Australia’s national broadcaster,” said the response, signed by Herald editor Bevan Shields, The Age editor Patrick Elligett and national editor David King.

“We have not and will not take sides on this story. “As the ABC is funded by taxpayers, the public is entitled to know about such decisions by management – especially when they result in a Fair Work Commission application against the broadcaster.”

Nine’s letter, obtained by The Australian, noted the reporting quoted an ABC spokesman explaining the broadcaster’s complaints process was “transparent”, and “responds accordingly, regardless of the source of the complaint”.

“The article also included responses from members of the WhatsApp group, and included their comments that it is ‘a group of lawyers concerned about Israel and rising anti-Semitism’ and ‘a grassroots initiative of individuals exercising their right to make their objections known’,” the letter read.

Writer Clementine Ford speaks at Sunday’s pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Lattouf’s unlawful termination claim will continue after a conciliation hearing on Thursday left the matter unresolved.

Lattouf claims she was unlawfully sacked on December 20 as a fill-in radio host for ABC Sydney due to the expression of political opinions, and because of her race.

“It’s about free speech. It’s about racism. It’s about the importance of truth telling in journalism. It’s about the need for a strong, representative and independent ABC,” she said.

On Sunday, several thousand protesters gathered at a Free Palestine event in Melbourne’s CBD in support of Lattouf. Author Clementine Ford addressed the event and voiced her disgust at pro-Palestinian protesters being described as “violent”, “inherently anti-Semitic” and “terrorists”.

Additional reporting: Sophie Elsworth