Mary Kostakidis. Forced to argue against Israel’s war in an Australian court
Jeffrey Epstein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Jimmy Carter, Noam Chomski, Hassan Nasrallah and Gideon Levy are just a few of the names in the Federal Court showdown. Kim Wingerei And Michael West Report on Cassuto v Kostakidis.
The cost is likely to run into the millions and may not even be heard of until the end of next year, according to lawyers. Former SBS News presenter Mary Kostakidis has entered her defense in the Federal Court against Australian Zionist Federation CEO Alon Cassuto’s alleged racial libel claim against her in the Federal Court.
Cassuto first took action against Kostakidis in July 2024, claiming that a number of Kostakidis’ tweets (and retweets) were “likely to offend, insult, humiliate and/or intimidate Australian Jews and/or Israeli Australians” and therefore contravene Paragraph 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act.
In his (amended) argument submitted last week, Cassuto implies that the attack was felt by “the vast majority of Israeli Australians.”
This is just one of many controversial claims Judge McDonald is asked to decide. Kostakidis, who has denied any wrongdoing (and has already apologized to avoid costly lawsuits), tweeted about aspects of the Gaza War that have been subject to extensive scrutiny around the world, including the International Criminal Court, which likened Israel’s actions in Gaza to genocide.
McDonald will also have to decide whether Hamas or Israel really wants the other destroyed, to what extent Hezbollah is a terrorist organization or a resistance movement, which of the reports about the October 7 attacks are true, and whether the alleged attacks on synagogues in Australia were motivated by antisemitism.
Even Jeffrey Epstein’s Israeli connections could be challenged in an Australian court because Cassuto is disturbed by such conspiracy theories.
Racial Discrimination Act to be tested in Mary Kostakidis case
Kostakidis’ defense
Mary Kostakidis this week presented her 30-page defense, forced to rebut the irrefutable. Details of the lawsuit include 61 tweets and retweets between October 2023 and March 2025. These generally highlight the lies, hypocrisy, and endless misinformation about the war in Gaza and include disturbing truths about the obvious parallels between the persecution of Palestinians and the Holocaust.
This is obvious to everyone except extreme Zionists.
And here’s the problem. What are Cassuto and the Zionist Federation trying to achieve? Is this to ensure that an Australian court decides that Zionism is equal to Judaism and that Israel’s power is not only justified but also impeachable?
Are they using the flaws in the Racial Discrimination Act to persecute their own political narrative, not only to justify the Gaza genocide but also to silence those who criticize it?
Kostakidis’ defense says: “These proceedings have been initiated as part of a deliberate campaign to undermine and discredit the Defendant, a prominent Australian who has questioned and criticized the behavior of the State of Israel since 7 October 2023.
to have a chilling effect on himself and others and silence them.
Mark Davis, the lawyer defending Kostakidis, said: MWM, “Mary Kostakidis is on the front lines, but this could happen to anyone. Anyone on Twitter or Facebook could stand in front of a Federal Court in shock and examine every Facebook post you’ve ever made to see if it provides context for an allegation.”
The Racial Discrimination Act literally allows anyone to bring a lawsuit if they are offended, regardless of whether what is said is true or not.
Many Australians will wonder why public money is spent on such court cases, at the peril of their own online ‘freedom of expression’, and why in a world like this. While Zionists call Pal supporters and terrorists and anti-Zionists call Zionists baby killers and Nazis every day on social media, a woman was highlighted. Mary Kostakidis.
This is a devastating court action.
Against the Zionists, Keane, Riemer, Kostakidis. Huge test cases for Australia’s freedom of expression
Kim Wingerei is a businessman turned author and commentator. He is passionate about freedom of expression, human rights, democracy and the politics of change. Originally from Norway, Kim has lived in Australia for 30 years. Author of ‘Why Democracy is Broken – A Blueprint for Change’.
Michael West was founded Michael West Media Focusing on public interest journalism in 2016, particularly the growing power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor for Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and was even once a stockbroker.
