Jewish Community Accuses ORF of “Spreading Hamas Lies”
Der Standard, September 6, 2024
German original: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000235564/israelitische-kultusgemeinde-wirft-orf-verbreitung-von-hamas-luegen-vor
ORF rejects accusation of tendentious reporting. Jewish Community: “Claims by terrorists” in “Weltjournal” stir up sentiment against Israel
Vienna – On Wednesday evening, the Austrian public broadcaster ORF aired the documentary Gaza War – Hell on Earth, which reports on the suffering in Gaza, “narrated by Palestinian journalists in Gaza, by doctors and paramedics – and from the perspective of a child,” as stated in the announcement. Now the The Jewish Community (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde - IKG) has made serious accusations against the ORF, accusing the public broadcaster of “uncontradictedly spreading narratives of the terrorist organization Hamas”.
Update: The ORF rejects the accusation of tendentious reporting. The report “Gaza War – Hell on Earth” in the Weltjournal shows the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population in the face of the massive Israeli military attacks on Gaza that followed the bloody Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7 and continue to this day. Palestinian reporters, doctors and children from Gaza talk about how they are experiencing the war. Since the outbreak of the war, the Weltjournal has repeatedly shown the effects on both the Israeli and the Palestinian side.
The ORF refers to the contributions “The Iron Fist of Hamas”, shown in October 2023, “Terror attack October 7 - how could it happen?” (November 2023), “Gaza – Fight for Survival” (April 2024), “Israel's Critical Voices” and “A Turning Point – Israel after October 7”. “On the upcoming anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel, the Weltjournal on October 2, 2024, will once again devote extensive coverage to the victims of the unprecedented terrorist attack,” the ORF announced upon request.
“This concoction poses a threat to our community. But it is also unjournalistic and damages people's trust in the ORF, where many reputable journalists strive daily to provide the best, namely correct, information. Dangerous programs like the Weltjournal also damage the reputation of the entire media house. Trust in foreign reporting has now reached an all-time low. It is high time that the ORF took countermeasures and that objectivity and journalistic integrity were restored in the Weltjournal,” said IKG President Oskar Deutsch. On Wednesday, the Weltjournal had presented Israel ”in an unprecedented light as the ultimate evil and disseminated Hamas propaganda that had long since been refuted.”
“It is legitimate, journalistically imperative and also humanly necessary to document and report on the suffering caused by war,” said Deutsch. ‘Every child who is harmed in a war is an apocalypse in itself. But blaming one side, namely the Jewish side, over and over again, is wrong and spreads antisemitism,’ said Deutsch. The “spread of this Hamas propaganda” is “endangering Jewish life worldwide”.
In a statement, Deutsch reports that the IKG's antisemitism reporting office has recorded “an increase in hate mail and decidedly antisemitic graffiti on house walls” after the documentary was broadcast on ORF, including, according to IGK, calls for violence against Jews. Protective measures have been increased. Deutsch: “A connection with the Weltjournal of September 4, 2024 cannot be confirmed, of course, but it cannot be ruled out either.” He demands “corrections, structural and personnel consequences” from the ORF.
The ORF also stated in response to the allegations: “As a public media company, the ORF has an obligation to provide the general public with comprehensive information about current events and topics. Since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, the ORF's TV, radio, and online news formats have been reporting extensively and in detail on the events in Israel and the Gaza Strip, as well as on the international dimension of the conflict.”
The ORF continues: “In order to paint a comprehensive picture of the events, the ORF media, in accordance with their mandate, are dedicating themselves not only to current reporting but also to the background of the conflict and, in this context, are taking into account the assessments of various experts, descriptions of those affected in Israel and the Gaza Strip, as well as statements from political representatives.” (red, Sept. 6, 2024, after publication of ORF statement added)