The ABC executive who removed a casual presenter over a post accusing Israel of using starvation tactics did not know her exact views on the Gaza war before she was dismissed, a court has heard.

Antoinette Lattouf was hired to fill a five-day timeslot on the Mornings show on ABC Radio Sydney in December 2023.

The 41-year-old was dismissed after three days on air after sharing a Human Rights Watch post on Instagram saying Israel had used starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.

The executive who sacked Antoinette Lattouf denies being aware then of pro-Israel lobby complaints.

She is suing the ABC in the Federal Court for unfair dismissal, seeking penalties and damages.

Giving evidence today, the ABC’s outgoing content chief, Chris Oliver-Taylor, told the court he did not know exactly what Lattouf’s views on the war were when he made the decision not to put her back on air.

“I’m not an expert in the Israel-Gaza war,” he said.

“I’m not an expert in nuances of the debate. I don’t want to suggest I know Ms Lattouf’s views either way, I don’t.

“I was concerned about impartiality on the ABC.”

Oliver-Taylor also denied being aware that at the time the ABC had received specific complaints from a pro-Israel lobby about Lattouf, adding he was unaware that she was of Lebanese background.

Lattouf’s barrister Oshie Fagir asked if Oliver-Taylor had been told by someone to refuse to acknowledge Lattouf’s position on the war and to repeat the “catchphrase of impartiality”.

“I don’t agree with that statement,” he replied.

Prior to Lattouf being stood aside, ABC managing director David Anderson forwarded screenshots of some of her posts to Oliver-Taylor, telling him the ABC had an “Antoinette issue” and her social media feeds contained “antisemitic hatred”.

Oliver-Taylor said he agreed the posts were an issue that might put the ABC in a position of appearing biased, but he said he had not viewed many of the posts himself.

“My response was, I think this is hugely problematic,” he said.

“He uses words like ‘full of antisemitic hatred’ and I have the decision to make around do I put someone with those views unchecked on air within 10 hours.”

In an email on December 20, Oliver-Taylor said issues with Lattouf remaining in her role included her position on the Gaza war and her signing of a petition calling for ethical reporting on Israel and Palestine.

“It was her published views that meant there could be a perception of bias,” he told the court

The ABC’s social media guidelines differentiate between employees’ use of official accounts and their personal profiles, which are not subject to editorial policies.

Oliver-Taylor said the ABC did not require its employees to be impartial in every aspect of their lives, but there were circumstances where that requirement could extend further.

“I think that if you are hosting a live radio show while holding particular positions – a journalist for example – there are certain topics which become very difficult to hold any published personal view,” he said.

While Oliver-Taylor agreed Lattouf’s role did not directly relate to the war, he said the issue might have come up while she was on air in the course of news bulletins.

“It was the hottest subject in the world,” he said.

“A live morning show might need to reflect and respond to breaking news and live events.”

Oliver-Taylor has since resigned and will be leaving ABC at the end of February.

The hearing continues before Justice Darryl Rangiah.