By Gizem Nisa Cebi
ISTANBUL (AA) – Australia’s pay television company Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany has issued an apology to his staff after a photograph of him making a Nazi salute resurfaced, igniting widespread condemnation from Jewish and diversity groups, according to Australian media.
Delany’s image, which dates back to the mid-2010s when he was Fox Sports CEO, was recently obtained by Australian media outlet Crikey and has sparked outrage for promoting "toxic workplace behaviors."
In a company-wide email sent on Sunday night, Delany expressed regret for his actions, stating: "I am very sorry for my actions and sincerely apologise to people who have been hurt or offended, especially members of the Jewish community."
He emphasized that the image does not reflect his "values and beliefs, and family connections."
The backlash was swift, with leaders of the Jewish and media sectors expressing concern.
Sarah Schwartz, executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, called Delany's gesture "deeply concerning" and condemned the media industry for allowing such behavior.
"Equally (concerning) is that he operates in a media industry where he felt this was somehow okay," Schwartz said, stressing that the salute is an "offensive and violent act not only for Jews, but also for other racialized groups."
Mariam Veiszadeh, CEO of Media Diversity Australia, added to the chorus of criticism, pointing out that the incident highlights longstanding issues within the media industry.
"This news comes at a time when many inside and outside of Australian media are holding up a critical mirror to the industry, calling out toxic workplace behaviors which seem to have been flourishing for decades," Veiszadeh said.
Both Schwartz and Veiszadeh stressed that the incident reveals deep-rooted problems with racism, sexism, and cultural safety in the media.
Schwartz added that actions like Delany's show why superficial pledges against antisemitism are insufficient, noting: "That the same person can sign a pledge to ‘say no to antisemitism’ and also feel comfortable doing a Nazi salute just goes to show that we need more than superficial pledges."
Delany, who has requested a meeting with the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, defended his actions to Crikey, claiming that the image was "shocking" because it depicted him "demonstrating the similarity" between the Nazi salute and a gesture performed by fans of A-League team Western Sydney Wanderers during a chant.