Australia's notorious 'E-Karen' has once again shown where her priorities lie — this time, by coming after a journalist for exposing a Brisbane doctor who openly supports Hamas.

David Lange, the founder of the pro-Israel website Israellycool, recently uncovered that Queensland-based doctor Akil Islam had been posting extreme anti-Israel and pro-Hamas content on LinkedIn. Rather than address the disturbing views of a medical professional entrusted with patient care, Australia's eSafety office instead issued Lange a notice branding his journalism as “cyber-abuse material targeting an Australian adult.”

Sign the petition: Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has to go!

“I wasn’t abusing anyone. I certainly wasn’t encouraging anyone to abuse anyone,” Lange told me. “I was simply providing factual evidence in the form of screenshots and a video, and asking people to report the doctor. Isn’t that the way you’re supposed to do things when you find a doctor doing things which are very worrying and potentially endangering patients?”

Lange described his shock at receiving the notice, particularly the twisted logic behind it. The eSafety office claimed his reporting could be considered offensive because it suggested the doctor supports a terrorist group — despite the fact that Dr Islam’s own posts clearly showed exactly that.

READ THE NOTICE:

“Make that make sense,” Lange said. “That means exposing the offensive material is the cyberbullying, and not the actual offensive material itself.”

He also pointed out the strange wording in the eSafety office’s response, which claimed his followers likely hold “anti-Palestinian views.”

“Just because I defend the Jewish people and expose terrorism, antisemitism and anti-Western sentiment, how does that equate to being anti-Palestinian?” he asked.

It’s a chilling notion — an Australian government agency seemingly working to protect someone who supports Hamas while punishing those who call it out. But Rebel News won’t let this slide and I’ve put tough questions to both the communications minister and the opposition.

Predictably, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland ignored me, while the opposition’s Melissa McIntosh gave a weak, generic statement about online safety, responding: "Everyone has the right to feel safe online. The Coalition condemns all forms of abuse online."

That’s not good enough. If Australians want their country back, they need to step up — and fast.

MY QUESTIONS FOR JULIE INMAN GRANT:

1. Does the eSafety Commissioner consider it "cyber abuse" to expose extremist views held by frontline medical professionals, such as those attributed to Dr Akil Islam in the article?
2. Does the eSafety Commissioner believe it is inappropriate for concerned citizens to report Dr Islam's apparent antisemitic and terror-supporting statements to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)?
3. Is the eSafety Commissioner troubled by any of Dr Islam's posts highlighted in the Israellycool article?
4. On May 26, 2024, the Australian Senate voted 56-12 to condemn the slogan 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' arguing that it denies Israel's right to exist and is often used to intimidate Jewish Australians through antisemitic acts. In Germany, this slogan can lead to the rejection of citizenship applications. Does Australia's eSafety Commissioner hold a differing view on whether this slogan constitutes hate speech?
5. In light of a recent viral video showing two nurses threatening to harm Israeli patients, does the eSafety Commissioner think Jewish patients would feel safe under the care of a doctor who expresses the kind of antisemitic and terror-supporting views exposed in the article that Dr Islam has publicly shared?
6. What outcome is the eSafety Commissioner seeking by issuing this notification to Israellycool?
7. ASIO has warned that a surge in intolerant rhetoric is weakening social cohesion, posing a significant threat to national security. How can the eSafety Commissioner not only accept but also actively defend rhetoric like that of Dr Islam?
8. How can Australian Jews maintain trust in the eSafety Commissioner if they perceive your office as shielding individuals who express antisemitic or terror-supporting sentiments?

RESPONSE FROM THE ESAFETY OFFICE:

eSafety provides a safety net for Australians experiencing seriously harmful online abuse, including material featuring personal racist attacks or slurs. 

 In relation to adults, the Online Safety Act empowers eSafety to seek removal of material intended to cause an individual Australian adult serious harm. This may include potential physical harm through actions such as doxing or cyberstalking. In addition, the material must also be considered menacing, offensive or harassing in all circumstances.  

 In relation to children, material reported through eSafety’s youth cyberbullying scheme must be intended to be seriously threatening, seriously intimidating, seriously harassing or seriously humiliating towards an Australian child. 

 To protect privacy, eSafety cannot comment on the details of individual complaints.

 If eSafety’s investigators determine material reported meets the high threshold specified under the Act, they may issue a service provider notification seeking its removal from the platform where it appears.

 If it does not meet the threshold, our investigators may notify the platform a complaint has been received about material that may breach their terms of service.  Any subsequent action in such cases is a matter for the platform.

 eSafety also investigates and removes illegal content, such as child sexual abuse and pro-terrorist or violent extremist material.

 However, the Act does not empower eSafety to issue removal notices in relation to online hate speech targeting a cultural, ethnic or religious group. 

 Nor does it provide any role for eSafety in regulating opinions or political commentary.  

 Australians can report seriously harmful material and find information, resources and advice on how to stay safe online at eSafety.gov.au.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has to go!

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Australia's eSafety Commissioner has to go! We are calling upon the government to immediately remove Julie Inman Grant from her position.

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