AFL Legend Faces Criticism Over Antisemitic Podcast Content
Jewish Council Condemns Remarks by Warren Tredrea, Guest
Former Australian Rules Football star Warren Tredrea is under fire for an interview on his podcast, “Ballsy,” where a guest made controversial statements about Israel and alleged conspiracy theories. The Jewish Council of Australia has strongly criticized the content, calling it antisemitic and a form of Holocaust denial.
Podcast Guest’s Statements
In the podcast episode, introduced as British Army veteran AJ Roberts made claims about Israel being a “fake state” that created ISIS. Roberts further alleged that Zionists controlled World War II and were behind the 9/11 attacks.
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The Jewish Council of Australia has expressed their deep concern regarding the amplification of antisemitic conspiracy theories within the Instagram post and podcast episode. Executive Officer Max Kaiser emphasized the severity of the guest’s assertions that Zionists controlled World War II, stating this amounted to “a form of Holocaust denial.”
“Mossad created ISIS with Barack Obama so ISIS actually stands for ‘Israeli Specialist Intelligence Service’,”
—AJ Roberts, Guest
Antisemitism continues to be a significant issue, with the Anti-Defamation League reporting a rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years. In 2023, there was a 140% increase in antisemitic incidents ( ADL Report).
Tredrea‘s Response and Context
Tredrea launched the podcast, “Ballsy,” in March. The podcast is described as a platform where guests “disrupt belief systems.” The interview with Roberts was uploaded last month, with excerpts shared on Tredrea’s Instagram.
A “Jewish Port Adelaide supporter” called the content antisemitic and asked Tredrea to remove it, expressing worry about the impact on the Jewish community. Tredrea had previously denied accusations of antisemitism on social media, in response to claims made on a football show.