Rachel Riley has apologised for a tweet about the Sydney mall stabbings, leading to calls for Channel 4 to sack the presenter.
The Countdown star has been accused of promoting Islamophobia when she incorrectly suggested the horrific attack which killed six people was linked to a Palestinian uprising.
Following the incident Australian police confirmed that homeless assailant Joel Cauchi had mental health issues with authorities saying it was “obvious” the knifeman targeted women in his rampage.Five of the six people killed by Cauchi during his knife attack in the busy Westfield Bondi Junction mall were women and the majority of the 12 other people injured in the attack, which took place near the world-famous Bondi Beach, were also women.
In a now deleted post Riley claimed the shopping mall assault was due to a "globalised Infitada".
In an extensive apology she said she regretted if her comment had been “misunderstood”.
In a fresh post on X she said: “Just to clarify, my intention with this tweet was not to say this attack was caused by any ideation or to link it to Islamic extremism.
“At the time we did not know who the attacker was, and as such I made no reference.
“My aim was to highlight the weekly calls for ‘intifada’ being tolerated in London and around the world, which in actuality means violence on our streets.
“For six months now, I have avoided taking the tube, or going with my kids to anywhere near the marches each Saturday, and each week we see the extremist chants on proud display with little outcry.
“Sadly, the type of attack seen in Sydney yesterday is exactly the kind of violence the previous intifada involved and I hope to avoid in future, but in my opinion ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.
“Attacks on Jews have recently become repackaged as ‘resistance’ in some circles, and we should in one voice condemn all acts of violence, whoever the perpetrators and whoever the victims.
“I am sorry if this message was misunderstood, that was not my intention.”
Since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, Riley has spoken at protests against antisemitism and has in recent years been a vocal critic of Labour’s handling of alleged antisemitism within the party.
Last year she was made an MBE at Windsor Castle for her work in raising awareness of the Holocaust and combating antisemitism.
The attack in Sydney has shocked the world, with witnessing reporting the heartbreaking moment one of the victims and her nine-month-old baby were stabbed.
Ashlee Good, 38, was killed in the attack and her daughter Harriet underwent surgery. Her condition improved on Sunday night, from critical to serious, health authorities said.
