The Australian Jewish News (AJN) has removed an article that decried the treatment of Sarah Schwartz, the executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, by members of the Jewish community. The piece, written by regular AJN contributor and lawyer Nomi Kaltmann, was commissioned by the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Gareth Narunsky. It described watching Schwartz’s testimony at the royal commission into antisemitism as “extremely upsetting” despite their political differences.
Kaltmann’s Article and Its Removal
In the article, headlined “Every Jew, regardless of politics, remains part of our people,” Kaltmann wrote that calling a fellow Jew a “kapo” or comparing them to a rat means losing the moral high ground. “No matter how strongly you disagree with someone’s politics, using language like this means that you have become part of the problem,” she said. The article was published online on Friday, 3 July, but was taken down on Monday without explanation, though the URL headline remains visible. Kaltmann also republished it on her personal website.
Kaltmann told Weekly Beast that the way Schwartz has been spoken to is abhorrent: “I don’t think what I wrote for the Australian Jewish News was controversial or edgy. I think it was a much-needed message for people to remember to speak to everyone with respect. I’m sad it was pulled. I think this reflects a broader issue society is facing on the right and left about a lack of civil discourse between people who disagree with each other.”
Schwartz’s Experience and Community Reaction
Schwartz said her critics had used the German word Judenrat, meaning “Jewish council” and referring to Jewish administrative bodies set up in Nazi-occupied Europe, and also depicted her as a rat. “Kapo” is an insulting term for Jews who allegedly collaborated with Nazis in concentration camps. The rival community newspaper the Jewish Independent reported that Narunsky “was told to remove the article by Publisher Bob Magid and Director Anna Pasternak after they received complaints about publishing an article that mounted any kind of defence of Schwartz.” Narunsky, Magid, and Pasternak did not respond to requests for comment.
Media Moves and Investigations
In other media news, the role of national political editor for News Corp Australia remains unfilled nine months after Clare Armstrong resigned to join the ABC. The job advertisement seeks a “passionate about politics and driven to break big stories” journalist, but sources say the role requires serving all tabloid editors with limited resources.
Politico has hired three reporters for its Canberra Playbook, launching on 17 August. Former Guardian Australia chief political correspondent Paul Karp joins as editor, with Finn McHugh and Miriam Webber as co-authors. McHugh previously worked at Capital Brief and SBS, while Webber has five years at the Canberra Times and produced for Politico in Europe.
Meanwhile, the ABC ombudsman Fiona Cameron revealed at the royal commission that she is investigating a special request from the ABC board, unrelated to Middle East conflicts. She also noted that journalists are not always the best investigators of journalism complaints, stating, “To be perfectly blunt, I don’t feel that journalists are very good at … assessing their own.”
News Corp’s Daily Telegraph faced scrutiny for its glowing coverage of Pauline Hanson’s meeting with far-right activist Tommy Robinson, describing it as a “compelling cultural moment.”
