ABC pulls down a reporter's TikTok on boycotting Israeli products in second ... trends now
The ABC has pulled down a TIkTok story that portrayed consumer boycotts against Israel in a flattering light.
The story filed by ABC reporter Amal Wehbe on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) protest movement that targets goods and products seen as favouring Israel was suddenly taken off the ABC TikTok account on Thursday morning.
After Daily Mail Australia sent the ABC a question about why the story remained on Wehbe's personal account, it was subsequently taken down.
The story has a restaurant owner suggesting the only way to hurt Israel is to 'fight money with money'.
A story on the consumer boycott movement targeting Israel was pulled down off the ABC's Tik Tok page
Webhe, who identifies herself as Palestinian on her TikTok page and has previously worked for ABC children's current affairs show Behind the News, promised her viewers to answer the question why people were boycotting Coca-Cola.
She interviewed the owner of Cedar Wrap, a Lebanese restaurant in Bankstown, western Sydney, who was identified only as 'Oz' and waved a microphone with a large ABC logo on it throughout his appearances.
Oz said he had been boycotting Israeli and US products for two months with the most notable example being Coca-Cola and other soft drinks from the giant US beverage maker.
Wehbe explained that 'the BDS site says Coca-Cola operates a factory in Adera, considered illegal under international law'.
The report, which ran just over a minute, contained no criticism of the BDS movement but instead focused on whether it was successful in punishing companies and changing their stance towards Israel.
'Since October 7 there has been a lot more talk around BDS and organisers say it makes a difference,' Wehbe said.
The report then cuts back to Oz.
'A lot of people say boycotting doesn't work. Boycotting is actually extremely important,' he said.
'The only way to fight money is with money.'
Wehbe the provides her sign-off summation.
'So, it's hard to tell how much financial impact this movement has on a brand but organisers say the change of sentiment among customers is powerful in itself,' she said.
Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission Dr Dvir Abramovich said the report was 'beyond belief'.
'While I welcome the removal of the video, I call on the board and management to investigate this alarming matter and for serious disciplinary action to be taken,' he said.
'This report crossed so many red lines that I stopped counting.'
He claimed it was especially inflammatory 'at a time of skyrocketing anti-semitism'
'When Jewish students at school and universities are being attacked for
