“Misleading, deceptive”. Judge scathing on ‘Undercover Jew’ stunt by NewsCorp, Israel activist

by Peter Lalor

NewsCorp’s Undercover Jew stunt with Israeli activist Ofir Birenbaum and The Daily Telegraph turned ugly in court this week. Peter Lalor reports.

Israeli activist Ofir Birenbaum’s public boast that “The Truth Wins” was looking a little awkward after the Daily Telegraph’s “undercover Jew” and former IDF soldier had his evidence and honesty questioned in a bruising Federal Court appearance.

The man at the centre of the newspaper’s fumbled antisemitic sting at Cairo Takeaway in February 2025, was back in court this week facing allegations he’d breached the terms of the deed of settlement in a previous case involving himself, the newspaper and the popular suburban restaurant.

Birenbaum entered the witness box with his chest out and his gaze steady, but exited it with the presiding judge repeatedly questioning the credibility of his evidence.

“I didn’t find him to be a credible witness,” 

Justice Robert Bromwich told Birenbaum’s counsel, saying he’d been “misleading and deceptive”.

The attempt, last year, to provoke an anti-semitic incident sparked a legal case that the court heard was “an example of the partisan division in this city”.

Birenbaum entered the Middle Eastern café with its famous Scottie Marsh Palestine mural on its outside wall, wearing prominent Jewish symbols on his clothing. A Daily Telegraph crew, headed by journalist  Danielle Gusmaroli, waited outside for the “gotcha” moment with another photographer.

Internal emails leaked to MWM in 2025 revealed that the newspaper had labelled the attempted sting “UNDERCOVER JEW”.

The sting unravelled, but the café was sued by Birenbaum for defamation and received an immediate apology after it proved that some of the initial allegations made in the heat of the moment about his behaviour were false.

The café counter sued him and the newspaper for trespass.

Birenbaum and Gusmaroli had reportedly attempted a similar stunt on another occasion. Wendy Bacon reported here last year on the pair’s failed attempt to capture covert footage at an Invasion Day rally. The Israeli-born activist has a track record for showing up to rallies calling for peace in Palestine.

The case involving Cairo, the former IDF soldier and the newspaper was settled in March this year with terms that remained confidential and an agreed statement which concluded:

“All parties are pleased that these issues have now been resolved in a constructive and satisfactory manner. In doing so, they acknowledge that all Australians should be able to safely express their racial or religious affiliation as well as debate issues in a respectful and dignified fashion. The parties hope that the fact of a resolution can be a positive example for others.”

The peace did not last long enough, however, for the agreed statement to be published. Birenbaum pre-empted the release, which all parties had agreed to, by claiming vindication in a statement that was widely distributed under the headline THE TRUTH WINS to sympathetic media types.

Counsel for Cairo, Matthew Richardson, told the court last week that the claims made “a joke” of the deed and represented a “full relaunch of hostilities” and said an apology in the deed of settlement was not “code for commencement of grenade throwing”.

A few minutes after entering the witness box, Birenbaum was reminded by Justice Bromwich that he had undertaken to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” and “being clever, if that is what you are being, is unacceptable.”

At question was whether the activist had sent briefing notes to select media outlets and who had leaked to Sky News information about compensation he’d received.

Birenbaum denied any knowledge of the breaches and claimed he had not told his attorney, Rebekah Giles, to release any information either.  

Giles did not appear in court as expected, but also denies leaking the information.

Later, Justice Bromwich asserted that he had to decide whether the activist was “lying about the lies” and must have “known he was not telling the truth” when giving evidence.

“The alternative finding is to say that he is stupid, and I don’t think he is stupid,” Bromwich told Birenbaum’s counsel, Kieran Smark SC.

Justice Bromwich was scathing about the Israeli-Australians’ claims of victory.

“The kindest thing you can say about it is that in the context of the deed, it’s misleading and deceptive, and if you were bringing an action for misleading or deceptive conduct, you’d win it, hands down.”

He later said: “I can’t imagine a single judge in this court thinking this was an acceptable way to behave, irrespective of whether there’s a finding made about breach of the deed.

“If everyone was to conduct themselves like this, matters just wouldn’t settle.”

Justice Bromwich said later that it was “difficult to accept” that Birenbaum didn’t know anything about the release of certain information to the media.

“I didn’t get the impression I was being told the truth,” he said. “The phrase that comes to mind is being economical with the truth.”

The post, which to this day remains pinned at the top of one of Birenbaum’s social “ofirfromisrael” media account was sent by direct message to 56 people, including Sharri Markson, Erin Molan, Caroline Marcus and the Australian Jewish News in what counsel said was an attempt to “bury the statements so Ofir Birenbam came out on top”. 

The court heard that Sky News is “the most conservative media outlet in the country … if you were Ofir Birenbaum or his lawyer of course you would go to Sky News”.

The former soldier’s post claimed he had been “completely vindicated”.  

“This should never have happened, but it did, and now the truth is no longer up for debate, and lies cannot be weaponised anymore,” Birenbaum had claimed in the release.

Birenbaum claimed memory lapses explained his failure to reveal interactions with Sky News presenters Sharri Markson and Caroline Marcus in his affidavit ahead of the current case.

The court heard that Markson, who broadcast confidential elements of the settlement, had been in contact with the Israeli activist who was instructed to turn over the contents of those messages to the court.

A transcript of the Sky News report was tendered to the court with focus on claims by Markson “that they’ve paid him an undisclosed amount of compensation”.

“Birenbaum refused to comment on the amount of compensation paid to him,” Markson said during the report. “Other than to say he’s pleased with the confidential terms of the resolution, and Rebekah Giles said in a statement today, this is an important win for a fear Birenbaum and the Australian Jewish community, it’s vindication for Jews across the globe who’ve been falsely accused of staging acts of anti-Semitism.”

The court heard that Birenbaum’s lawyer, Giles, made claims of victory for her client, releasing a statement calling the settlement of the case “an important win for her client and the Australian Jewish community. It’s a vindication for Jews across the globe who have been falsely accused of staging acts of antisemitism”.

The broadcast triggered a wave of hate toward the café and Muslims, with one labelling Cairo “scumbag takeaway” and another “pathetic dogs.”

Birenbaum’s lawyer, Kieran Smark SC, said that Markson’s incorrect claim that compensation had been paid when it was pending suggested the information had not come from his client.

“She’s got it wrong, if it had come from us, she would have got it correct,” he said.

https://michaelwest.com.au/misleading-deceptive-judge-scathing-on-undercover-jew-stunt-by-newscorp-israel-activist/

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John Mahoney

This week Zia Ahmad – a regular contributor to P&I – became the first Muslim to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to journalism – and the second member of his family to receive the nation’s highest civilian honour.

Two generations. Two OAMs. One remarkable family.

In this week’s King’s Birthday honours list, Ziaul Islam Ahmad – known to everyone as Zia – was named a recipient of the Order of Australia, following in the footsteps of his late father, Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad OAM, who received the same honour in 2020.

In most families, that would be extraordinary. In the Ahmads’, it feels almost inevitable – the product of relentless, unglamorous decades of community work spanning three generations.

That Zia is also the first Muslim in Australia to receive the OAM specifically for services to journalism makes this a landmark moment, not just for his family, but for the country’s multicultural media landscape.

Zia Ahmad, 73, is best known as the editor-in-chief of  this newspaper, the Australasian Muslim Times – AMUST – the country’s leading independent Muslim newspaper and news portal, founded with his father in 1991.

Under Zia’s stewardship, the publication has grown from a modest print community paper into a multimedia platform covering Muslim and multicultural Australian life for readers well beyond any single faith or background.

AMUST is an activity of Seena Incorporated, a not-for-profit organisation based in Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s south-west.

“I accept this recognition with gratitude and humility,” Mr Ahmad said. “This honour belongs not only to me but to the many individuals, organisations, colleagues, volunteers, friends and family who have accompanied me on this journey – and to the communities I have had the privilege to serve over many years.”

“My most significant contribution to journalism has been founding the Australian Muslim Times with my father in 1991 and evolving it into the Australasian Muslim Times – AMUST – in 2014, today a print and digital publication supported by a multicultural online platform and an active social media presence.”

The Ahmad family story is, in many respects, a distinctly Australian one.

Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad – a mechanical engineering professor who had taught at the Regional Engineering College in Kashmir before political upheaval forced him out – arrived in Australia in 1971 with his wife Jamal Ara and six children.

He went on to complete his PhD on a University of Sydney scholarship and spent the following decades as a founding force behind Islamic institutions, interfaith forums and community organisations.

He was also a cousin of former Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari.

By the time he received his OAM shortly before his death, he had become one of the most decorated Muslim figures in Australian history.

Zia, professionally a biochemist who retired in 2013 after more than 40 years working in the School of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Sydney, has quietly built a legacy to match his father’s.

When the Premier’s Multicultural Communications Awards panel handed him their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021, they noted his career had delivered “a significant and long-term impact on the community promoting multiculturalism, global outlook and unity of mankind” – almost 50 years, the citation read, of social cohesion and harmony.

It wasn’t his first time on that stage, having taken home the same panel’s best editorial prize in 2016 and best print report in 2019.

An interfaith dialogue award followed in 2018, alongside the Excellence Award from the Multicultural Communities Council of NSW.

The AMU Alumni of Australia recognised him in 2016 and the Universal Peace Federation appointed him an Ambassador of Peace.

Along with many other hats he currently wears, Zia is a member of the Abraham Conference Organising Committee and serves on the board of Western Grammar School in Western Sydney.

“Drawing on both my Eastern heritage as an Australian of Indian Muslim background and more than five decades of lived experience here, I have come to appreciate the richness of diversity and the value of respectful engagement across cultures, faiths and viewpoints,” he said.

“Australia is home to countless individuals who make extraordinary contributions quietly and without recognition – among them many volunteers, women, people with disabilities and those from multicultural backgrounds who dedicate themselves selflessly to others.”

“I encourage Australians to nominate such deserving individuals for national honours….the Order of Australia exists to acknowledge and celebrate exactly that kind of excellence, service and community leadership.”

What makes Zia’s story particularly special is that his life’s work has been, in every sense, a family affair.

His daughter Rubinah Ahmad, born and raised in Sydney, has been AMUST’s graphic designer and technology director since 2014 – responsible for the layout of almost 150 print issues and its entire digital and social media presence.

She also serves as Office Manager of the Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) and her volunteer work across dozens of not-for-profit organisations earned her the technology volunteer of the year award at the 2022 Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards.

“Growing up, watching dad balance full-time work, volunteering and caring for our family was truly inspiring,” Rubinah told me.

“Despite my disability, I never felt limited or held back – he and mum made me feel capable of anything.”

“Dad encouraged us to give back from a young age and was the driving force behind the diverse skills and experiences we each developed. Seeing him continue my grandfather’s work in interfaith and multicultural relations is incredibly special.”

“I’m so proud of him, and so proud to call myself Zia’s daughter.”

Another daughter, Mobinah Ahmad – a journalist, social media strategist and event producer – served as AMUST’s managing editor for many years and has been involved in interfaith and multicultural advocacy, including with the Australian Human Rights Commission. She currently works with the OnePath Network.

“My father’s leadership reflects my grandfather’s before him – wisdom, humility and a deep commitment to service,” Mobinah said.

“Both men understood the privilege they carried and used it not to centre themselves, but to open doors for the women in their lives.”

“My father constantly empowered us to lead with confidence, to step into influential spaces and to know our voices belonged there.”

“At times, he was willing to step back so we could step forward – and that quiet, principled leadership has shaped our family across generations.”

The Ahmad family, together with their large extended family, have also been a major driving force behind the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair – MEFF – the first, the largest and the longest-running festival celebrating Eid in Australia, now in its 41st year.

Zia’s wife of 50 years, Mehar Ahmad, a regular AMUST contributor and multi-award winning Toastmaster speaker, was herself recognised at the inaugural Crescent Awards in 2022 with the outstanding contribution to school community award.

“Zia’s recognition as the first Muslim to receive the OAM for services to journalism is a fitting tribute to his decades of dedication, integrity and service in this field,” Mehar said.

“Through his commitment to ethical journalism he has informed, educated and empowered communities, given voice to the underrepresented and helped build bridges across Australia’s diverse society.”

“This honour not only celebrates his personal achievements but also highlights the vital role community media plays in strengthening social cohesion and enriching Australia’s cultural and democratic landscape. Congratulations, Zia – well deserved.”

For Zia Ahmad, the recognition lands at a moment when independent multicultural media in Australia is under pressure and arguably never more needed.

“I wish to acknowledge the support during this most successful journey, first to my immediate family members including my wife Mehar, daughters Sakinah, Saminah, Mobinah and Rubinah, my son-in-laws Wali and Wasseem as well as my extended family members who have helped towards the growth of AMUST and its promotion, production and distribution,” Zia said.

AMUST marked a decade of its current form at a celebration in Bankstown in September 2024, and the publication continues to operate outside the commercial media ecosystem – self sufficient, supported by community, run by family and accountable, its editor would argue, to no-one but its readers.

I should declare here that Zia has been both a great mentor and a dear friend to me  – a man whose generosity of spirit is as much a part of him as his commitment to his faith and his community.

His work ethic is next level – and writing this piece is an absolute privilege.

The Order of Australia will be conferred at a ceremony in coming months.

It is a sure bet Zia will receive it with the same combination of humility and purpose that has defined his life.

“We are a dawah family,” he says. “I have committed my life and involved my loving family into inviting all to see how grateful I am of the opportunity Australia has provided us with.”

Today, after five decades of quiet, principled service, Australia has taken the time to acknowledge this in the best possible manner.

Republished from AMUST

https://johnmenadue.com/post/2026/06/muslim-media-pioneer-zia-ahmad-recognised-with-oam-emulating-his-dad/

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

         RABID ATHEIST.

         WELCOME TO THIS INSANE WORLD….