For about two months, the Australian public network SBS has not been broadcasting its radio show in Hebrew. This is due to severe censorship imposed by the network's management on the Hebrew-language show host, Amit Rohak, who resigned of his own accord from the station.
הוואטסאפ של כאן חדשות - עקבו אחר הערוץ הרשמי
Now, instead the program, English music is broadcast, effectively breaking a 50-year tradition of Hebrew broadcasting by the Australian public broadcasting corporation.
Listen to the full interview broadcast on "The International in Hebrew Hour" on Kan Reshet Bet:
In a special interview on "The International Hour" on Kan Reshet Bet today (Monday), Rohak explained that the network's management censored an interview with Richard Kemp, a senior British military officer, who stated according to his professional analysis that the IDF operates at great lengths to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza. The network's management refused to air a segment where Kemp called Hamas militants "terrorists."
Additionally, an interview with the pro-Israel activist from Germany, Oriana Mary Gröger, who said, "Israel is being demonized," was censored. Rohak mentioned that while the interviews were broadcast on the radio, they were not uploaded to the network's website and were censored.
According to Rohak: "The network's broadcasters are committed to objectivity and that's fine, but the interviewees can express their opinions." He added, "They removed content without consulting me. After 12 years of work, this was a shock to me."
Regarding the circumstances of his resignation, he said: "This went on for several weeks. I told them, 'Guys, I can't work like this.' If you continue to treat the Jewish community in Australia this way and censor every other sentence of mine about the war in Israel, then I'm leaving."
