Zionist Federation drops racial discrimination suit against journalist Mary Kostakidis

A federal court case launched by the Zionist Federation of Australia against journalist Mary Kostakidis was terminated by mutual consent, with no costs awarded. The federation had accused Kostakidis of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act after she reposted a video of a speech by the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on X, adding a critical comment about Israel. Kostakidis contested the claim, saying it did not identify any protected group that was harmed, and sought to have the suit struck out.

After the matter was escalated from the Australian Human Rights Commission to court, both sides agreed to end the litigation, and the judge entered a dismissal without cost orders. Kostakidis hailed the outcome as a victory for free political expression, while the federation’s chief executive Alon Cassuto said the objectives of the case had been largely met following a prior public apology.