Radio station J-AIR has responded to our April 2 article Jewish broadcaster J-AIR airs interview stating “the pandemic is an exact designer drug … that will remove … problems … in the form of homosexuality and gays” by issuing the following apology on the front page of their web site:
J-AIR unreservedly apologises for broadcasting and podcasting comments that vilified the gay community in one of its regular programs.
The comments were made by Rabbi Mendel Kessin on the Tamar Yonah Show on Monday, 30 March 2020. Yonah hosts her own show on J-AIR’s sister station in Israel, Israel News Talk Radio (INTR), and Rabbi Kessin’s comment were originally aired on 24 March on the INTR program The Mystical Meaning of the Coronavirus with Rabbi Mendel Kessin. They were re-broadcast on J-AIR on 30 March.
J-AIR president George Banky said Rabbi Kessin’s views were totally unacceptable.
“J-AIR has initiated its complaints procedure in line with ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) and CBAA (Community Broadcasting Association of Australia) requirements,” Dr Banky said.
“We have taken the podcast off line, and the complaints’ committee has started to review the show’s contents. The outcome of this process will be announced within 30 days, if not sooner. J-AIR is seeking an explanation from Tamar Yonah.
“J-AIR is very aware of its role as a community broadcaster and strictly adheres to the laws of this country, particularly the ones referring to broadcasting as mandated by ACMA.
Aleph Melbourne acknowledge that J-AIR are taking this matter seriously and responding appropriately, and look forward to seeing what further steps are put in place to ensure they do not broadcast content that vilifies LGBTIQ+ people again.
Media coverage
April 2
[J-Wire] J-Air broadcast invokes homosexuality as partly to blame for the pandemic
[Lost Messiah] Melbourne’s J-AIR Blaming the Homosexual Community for Covid-19
April 3
[J-wire] J-AIR apologies for homophobic content
[Lost Messiah] J-Air Apology for Bashing LGBTQ Members, Covid-19
April 4
[PinkNews] Jewish radio station apologises for claims that coronavirus is a ‘designer drug’ to eradicate gays before Messiah comes
[OUTinPerth] Melbourne’s Jewish radio station apologises for homophobic broadcast
April 6
[QNews] Jewish radio station sorry for rabbi’s homophobic coronavirus rant