Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Robert Goot. Photo: AJN file

PETER KOHN

A DECISION by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to reopen its investigation into the TV channel al-Manar has been welcomed by the Jewish community.

The Lebanese-based network, which is Hezbollah’s media outlet, is available in Australia via satellite, but has been banned in the United States and many parts of Europe.

ACMA chair Chris Chapman said the watchdog will revisit its probe of the channel, with public submissions and wider sampling of content.

The inquiry will once again check whether al-Manar is breaching Australian anti-terrorism laws. It will also look at revamping its regulatory arrangements for future investigations.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Robert Goot welcomed the new inquiry and said ECAJ would work with interested organisations to ensure their concerns are addressed.

“It is gratifying that the scope of the investigation, as announced by ACMA, incorporates the breaches of licence conditions by al-Manar that were specified in ECAJ’s formal written submission to the government.”
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Comedian John Safran

Comedian John Safran’s new series, Race Relations, screens on the ABC-TV on Wednesday, October 21 at 9.30pm. What do you think of the show? Send us your comments.

INTERVIEW BY ADAM KAMIEN

The Australian Family Association has described your new show John Safran’s Race Relations as the lowest point in the history of Australian television. Do you court controversy?

The thing that’s funny to me about the Family Association and the Herald Sun getting angry is that with my work – not just this series – I’m not even talking to them. My style is I’ve got this audience and I try to wind that audience up. It’s not like Michael Moore who has his audience and then tries to rile up the enemies of his audience. I just want to say to the Herald Sun and the Family Association “seriously, I’m so not trying to annoy you”, but it’s like I’ve inadvertently annoyed them or something.
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John Safran … new TV series.

ADAM KAMIEN

COMEDIAN John Safran’s new show has caused a public outcry, even though its debut on ABC TV is still days away.

The Australian Family Association last week hit out at the show, John Safran’s Race Relations, describing it as “filth”.

In episode one of the series, in which Safran explores interracial attraction, the former Yeshivah College student donates sperm at a Palestinian sperm bank while looking at a picture of US President Barack Obama.

He also steals women’s underwear to perform “sniff tests”. In a later episode, Safran is crucified as part of a religious ritual in the Philippines.

But the scene that will likely generate the most controversy in the Jewish community involves Safran going to his mother’s grave, with a shovel and a Kabbalah prayer book to discover what she thinks of him marrying a non-Jew.
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Terrorist TV

FOR most Australians, the biggest issue currently facing the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is how to deal with the execrable radio jock Kyle Sandilands following the “lie detector” stunt on Sydney radio last week.

But the Jewish community has a serious issue of its own, the apparent watering down late last year of broadcasting regulations to the point where Hezbollah TV station al-Manar can now broadcast into Australia.
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ASHLEY BROWNE

JON Stewart is a funny guy. It takes about 20 seconds of watching him on The Daily Show to establish that fact.

And you only need to watch for another minute or so to establish another key fact about Stewart - he is very Jewish.

But why Jon Stewart? Surely in the 2000s, it is OK for Stewart to comfortably go by his actual name, Jon Leibowitz. Read the full story