Veteran Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has publicly defended a journalist who was dismissed from his position for expressing support for Palestine on social media. Peter Lalor, an Australian journalist, was terminated by SEN Radio while covering the Australian tour of Sri Lanka. Lalor disclosed that he was let go and informed by the organization that his retweet was deemed unbalanced and insensitive to one perspective.

Khawaja, a long-time advocate for Palestine, expressed his astonishment at Lalor's dismissal through a post on his Instagram story, reaffirming his commitment to supporting the cause.

Lalor disclosed that he received several calls from the channel while providing commentary on the first Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia on Day 3, and he learned the following morning that he had been dismissed.

“In one of the calls, I was informed that serious organizations had lodged complaints; in another, I was told that this was not the case,” Lalor stated in his announcement.

“Perhaps I misinterpreted the situation. I was informed of allegations regarding my antisemitism, which I vehemently deny. I was told that my retweeting lacked balance and was insensitive to one perspective, leading to numerous complaints.

“During a civil conversation with station head Craig Hutchison, I was asked whether I was unconcerned that my retweets about events in Gaza made Jewish individuals in Melbourne feel unsafe. I responded that I did not wish for anyone to feel unsafe. I genuinely care. I have friends who are scared, and I have heard the fear in their voices during our discussions. It is a dreadful situation. However, the situation in Gaza is equally dire. The call was brief yet cordial.

“Perhaps I misinterpreted the situation. I was informed of allegations regarding my antisemitism, which I vehemently deny. I was told that my retweeting lacked balance and was insensitive to one perspective, leading to numerous complaints.

“During a civil conversation with station head Craig Hutchison, I was asked whether I was unconcerned that my retweets about events in Gaza made Jewish individuals in Melbourne feel unsafe. I responded that I did not wish for anyone to feel unsafe. I genuinely care. I have friends who are scared, and I have heard the fear in their voices during our discussions. It is a dreadful situation. However, the situation in Gaza is equally dire. The call was brief yet cordial,” he added.

Khawaja takes strong stand

Khawaja expressed his unwavering support for Peter, asserting that advocating for the people of Gaza is unrelated to the Jewish community in Australia. He characterized the dismissed journalist as an individual of good character who merits a more favorable situation.

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