Sky News reported that Nicole, a Jewish Australian with Mexican and Israeli heritage, whose last name was withheld, hosted a Latin American radio show on a community radio station in Sydney, Australia called Radio Skid Row.
In an interview with Australian Jewish News, Nicole said in a meeting with Radio Skid Row, she was told that if she was unable to support the October 7 attacks as “resistance and as something positive” and if she refused to agree that the over 100 hostages should be kept in Gaza, then she didn’t align with the station's values, and could no longer work there.
Nicole told the outlet that problems began after she covered a “free Palestine” sticker before interviewing guests on her show which wasn’t “…political at all. We talked about kids and marriage, anecdotes and stuff like that.”
She continued, “They expected me to support the Palestinian resistance. I asked them what that means because I didn’t want to make assumptions.”
Nicole added that when she was ordered to change her public opinion about the October 7 massacre and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, she could no longer be openly supportive of freeing the hostages still held captive in Gaza.
Nicole said she refused to deny her beliefs and attempted to explain to the station’s brass the impact antisemitism has had on the Jewish community after Hamas raped, tortured, and murdered over 1,200 people on Oct 7, kidnapping over 250 and injuring thousands more.
She discussed losing her relatives in the Holocaust but was told by station execs “white woman tears” weren’t appreciated. She told the outlet, “While I was telling them how this movement, what it’s done to the Jewish community, how it’s reminiscent of the Holocaust, how it’s been really uncomfortable, and we’re scared… they were laughing at me.”
After the meeting, Radio Skid Row fired Nicole from her position via email.
Nicole stated that publicly funded Radio Skid Row hosts a program with a similar logo to that of Hamas. “If they’re going to be inciting hate and divisiveness, they shouldn’t be getting the funding from Sydney, from our taxes. They should be held responsible… and be more monitored.”
She continued, “This is not about talking about my political views or criticizing any other views; it’s more just about finding respect for each other and finding a grey area in such a nuanced topic,” noting, “just because you’re pro, something doesn’t mean you have to be anti-something else. Everyone is suffering, and that’s not okay.”
