Australia Revokes $308,000 Grant to Islamic Network Over "Staged" Antisemitic Attacks Claims
Translated & summarized from 0404 by baba
Australia is moving to revoke a $308,000 grant to the Islamic media network OnePath Network after it published videos claiming antisemitic attacks were staged. Minister Anne Aly confirmed the process, aiming to prevent future funding of disinformation. The network had previously aired content comparing Israeli actions to the Holocaust and labeling Zionists as enemies of Islam. Jewish community leaders welcomed the decision and called for a review of all similar grants.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Australia is revoking a $308,000 grant to OnePath Network for alleging staged antisemitic attacks.
- Minister Anne Aly confirmed the government is terminating the grant agreement with the Islamic media network.
- OnePath Network's videos claimed antisemitic incidents in Australia were a hoax and compared Israeli actions to the Holocaust.
- Jewish community leaders praised the decision and called for a review of other government grants to media outlets.
- The grant was part of a program to support ethnic media and foster social cohesion in Australia.
The Australian government has initiated proceedings to revoke a $308,000 public grant awarded to the Sydney-based Islamic media network OnePath Network. This action follows the discovery that the network disseminated videos alleging that a series of antisemitic attacks in Australia were "staged." Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly stated in Parliament that the Department of Home Affairs sent the network a "notice of intention to terminate" the grant agreement and is "in the process of revoking the grant." She also requested the department expedite the implementation of new tools to pre-screen public statements by grant applicants to prevent similar incidents.
The grant, approved in April, was part of a government program to support ethnic community media, aiming to foster social cohesion and understanding. The agreement was set to run until June 2027. A video uploaded by OnePath Network in May 2025, titled "The Staged Antisemitic Attacks That Shocked Australia," featured host Kamal Saleh claiming that a fire at a Jewish kindergarten, swastikas on cars, graffiti on synagogues, and a van filled with explosives were all "a hoax." Saleh also drew parallels between Israel's actions in Gaza and the Holocaust, suggesting a moral equivalence and an "atmosphere of Nazism."
Another video hosted by the network featured American Islamic cleric Dr. Ubair Anjum, who identified "Zionists, or 'Jewish supremacy' as other scholars call them, as mortal enemies of Islam." A separate video showcased Taliban officials labeling Australian soldiers as "terrorists."
Alex Ryvchin, Joint CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, urged the government to urgently review all grants to "so-called independent" media, citing their contribution to division and fear through conspiracy theories. He expressed disbelief that the government funds such fringe media while simultaneously funding programs to repair social cohesion damaged by disinformation. The Australia-Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) also welcomed the decision and called for an investigation into how the funding was initially approved, noting it occurred while the country is holding a state inquiry into antisemitism and social cohesion following a recent attack in Bondi.
The grant was approved by the office of the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke. The Department of Home Affairs had previously stated it formally contacted the network regarding its contractual obligations and provided an opportunity to respond. OnePath Network has not yet issued a response.