Senator Sarah Henderson Retracts Hamas ID Claim Against Journalist

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson admitted she incorrectly accused late Palestinian journalist Roshdi Sarraj of possessing a Hamas ID card during a Senate estimates hearing. Henderson had previously used an Israel Defense Forces report to claim the Australian Broadcasting Corporation hired a Hamas terrorist, a claim that was subsequently featured in a headline by The Australian.

Following the hearing, Henderson contacted ABC managing director Hugh Marks to correct the record. She explained that she had confused Sarraj with two Al Jazeera journalists who held Hamas military ID numbers. While the Israel Defense Forces concluded Sarraj was a Hamas military operative, the ABC maintained his status as a professional. ABC editorial director Gavin Fang stated the broadcaster received no evidence of active links to the organization and asserted that Sarraj was a legitimate journalist.