Macklemore, Mary Kostakidis and the red line on Palestine

Political power doesn’t always operate through governments or legislation – it can work through vexatious litigation, lobbying, money, professional pressure and the ability of influential organisations to impose consequences on those who challenge powerful interests. The experiences of former SBS journalist Mary Kostakidis in Australia and musician Macklemore in the United States raise the difficult questions about Israel, Palestine, Gaza, Zionism and free speech: Kostakidis endured almost two years of legal proceedings before the Zionist Federation of Australia discontinued its Federal Court case without a judgment, while Macklemore faced organised pressure and was removed from the remainder of Ed Sheeran’s US tour after his outspoken advocacy for Palestine. Set against the entertainment industry’s inconsistent response to Kanye West’s explicit antisemitism and praise for Adolf Hitler, these cases raise a broader democratic question: when journalists, musicians and public figures fear litigation, professional exclusion or reputational campaigns for criticising Israel or supporting Palestinian rights, does censorship need to be imposed by governments at all – or does the outrageous effect achieve the same result? #AUSPOL  Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au  Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpoliticsSubstack: https://newpolitics.substack.com  Song listing:‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.