Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the linked source articles below and extracts what each outlet reported, so you can compare their coverage side by side. How this works →
Bondi library removes book How to Sell a Genocide from shelves after complaint
Waverley Library in Sydney has removed 'How to Sell a Genocide' from its shelves after a complaint from a survivor of the Bondi attack. The decision has drawn criticism from the author and free-speech advocates, while the council says the move is part of a review process.
Sydney Library Removes Gaza Book After Survivor Complaint
A Sydney library has removed a book critical of Israel's conduct in Gaza from its shelves after a complaint from a survivor of a recent attack in the area.
Waverley Library at Bondi Junction, which falls within the same council area as Bondi Beach, withdrew How to Sell a Genocide by media analyst Adam Johnson. A council spokesperson said: “The book has been removed from library shelves for review, and council will further consider processes to ensure closer oversight of book selection.”
The spokesperson added that, like most public libraries, Waverley Council outsources its book curation, ordering and purchasing, meaning the selection is not undertaken by council officers.
According to the Jewish news outlet JWire, a survivor of December's antisemitic attack at Bondi—during which 15 people were killed—saw the book on the “new release / hot item” shelf and wrote on Facebook that the display was distressing. Guardian Australia has been unable to locate that post. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that the council received “multiple complaints” about the book.
Book's Content and Author's Response
The book critiques what it claims is the US media's “complicity in the destruction of Gaza.” Johnson, the author, criticized the removal, saying calling Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide was not “a fringe or radical position.”
“They seem to be objecting largely based on the title using the word ‘genocide’,” Johnson said. “But ‘genocide’ is not my word, or my finding. The fact of genocide in Gaza is the overwhelming consensus of the human rights world, and it is a wholly mainstream opinion among those tasked with studying and determining such matters.”
Johnson added: “That it makes some people upset is unfortunate, but reality is often upsetting. This particular reality is especially upsetting … to the parents of the over 20,000 children killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023. Do Sydney officials plan on removing pro-Israel books from their libraries because it potentially upsets these community members?”
Israel has repeatedly denied that it has committed genocide in Gaza.
Reactions from Advocacy Groups
Bart Shteinman, an executive member of the progressive Jewish Council of Australia, called the council's decision “deeply alarming.” He said public libraries should host a range of views and topics.
Shteinman noted that the New South Wales government passed legislation earlier this year amending the state's Library Act to better protect institutions from campaigns to ban books. He said that if the council permanently removes the book, the mayor, Will Nemesh, and the special minister of state, John Graham, must explain how that is not in breach of the law.
Nasser Mashni, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, said it is a “library's duty to provide its community access to a broad range of published works.” He added that “hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, maimed and displaced” and that Gaza's population is facing engineered famine. “History has taught us too well what happens when books start getting banned,” Mashni said.
David Shulman, senior commissioning editor at Pluto Press, which published the book, said it should be made widely available. He described Johnson's analysis as “rigorous, meticulous, data-driven and damning.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies declined to comment. The Waverley mayor and the special minister of state were contacted for comment.
How each outlet told it
The Conversation
Framing: Headline frames the removal as a question of libraries representing freedom of thought, putting the issue in a broader democratic context. — Thoughtful and opinionated, advocating for the book's retention, with a tone that is measured but clearly against permanent removal.
Facts Included:
Sydney's Waverley Council, which includes Bondi Beach, removed the book How to Sell a Genocide from library shelves pending review.
The removal followed a complaint from a survivor of last year's Bondi Beach massacre.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the council received 'multiple complaints' about the book.
The book is by media analyst Adam Johnson and critiques the US mainstream media and its 'culpability' in shaping public perceptions of the war in Gaza.
Nasser Mashni, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, told the Guardian it is a 'library's duty' to provide access to a broad range of works.
The book was displayed on the 'new release / hot item' shelf.
The survivor was 'distressed' by the display.
The author, Adam Johnson, is depicted in an image from Pluto Press.
The book is based on careful documentation of some 12,000 articles and 5,000 television clips.
Journalism expert Jeff Sparrow's review said the International Association of Genocide Scholars describes the Israeli war on Gaza as meeting the legal definition of genocide.
Almost all major human rights organisations and NGOs agree it is genocide.
The article cites the author's own research with close to 200 people about libraries.
One interviewee called the library 'a place of learning, a safe place for free exchange of ideas'.
Another interviewee said the library gave them a sense of belonging and 'made me part of Australia'.
The article notes the recent deaths of 15 people in the antisemitic attack on Bondi Beach.
A 2024 report noted library usage increased by 10% to 88 million people, and use of collections is at an all-time high.
The article argues for keeping the book, stating it would counteract the library's stated aims.
It notes that regular reviews of collection are standard practice and a review does not mean the book will be discarded.
Framing: Headline emphasizes the removal of the book from shelves after a complaint, focusing on the action and the trigger. — Balanced but with a critical undercurrent, supported by quotes from critics and the author questioning the decision.
Facts Included:
A Sydney library removed the book How to Sell a Genocide from shelves following a complaint reportedly from a survivor of the Bondi beach terror attack.
Waverley library at Bondi Junction is in the same council area as Bondi beach.
A Waverley council spokesperson said: 'The book has been removed from library shelves for review, and council will further consider processes to ensure closer oversight of book selection.'
The council outsources its book curation, ordering and purchasing, so book selection is not undertaken by council officers.
The Jewish news outlet JWire reported it approached the council after a survivor of December's antisemitic attack at Bondi, during which 15 people were killed, saw the book on the 'new release / hot item' shelf and wrote on Facebook that the display was distressing.
Guardian Australia has been unable to locate the Facebook post.
The book critiques what it claims is the US media's 'complicity in the destruction of Gaza'.
Author Adam Johnson criticized the removal, saying calling Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide was not 'a fringe or radical position'.
Johnson said 'genocide' is not his word, and that the fact of genocide in Gaza is the overwhelming consensus of the human rights world.
Johnson mentioned over 20,000 children killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023.
Johnson questioned if Sydney officials plan on removing pro-Israel books from libraries.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies declined to comment.
Bart Shteinman, an executive member of the progressive Jewish Council of Australia, called the decision 'deeply alarming'.
Shteinman said public libraries should host a range of views and topics.
Israel has repeatedly denied that it has committed genocide in Gaza.
The New South Wales government passed legislation earlier this year amending the state's Library Act to better protect institutions from campaigns to ban books.
Shteinman said if the council permanently removes the book, the mayor, Will Nemesh, and the special minister of state, John Graham, must explain how that is not in breach of the law.
Nasser Mashni, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, said it is a 'library's duty to provide its community access to a broad range of published works'.
Mashni said 'hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, maimed and displaced' and that Gaza's population is facing engineered famine.
Mashni said 'history has taught us too well what happens when books start getting banned'.
David Shulman, senior commissioning editor at Pluto Press, said the book should be made widely available.
Shulman described Johnson's analysis as 'rigorous, meticulous, data-driven and damning'.
The Waverley mayor and the special minister of state were contacted for comment.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimA Sydney library removed the book How to Sell a Genocide from shelves following a complaint reportedly from a survivor of the Bondi beach terror attack.
ClaimA Waverley council spokesperson said: 'The book has been removed from library shelves for review, and council will further consider processes to ensure closer oversight of book selection.'
ClaimThe Jewish news outlet JWire reported it approached the council after a survivor of December's antisemitic attack at Bondi, during which 15 people were killed, saw the book on the 'new release / hot item' shelf and wrote on Facebook that the display was distressing.
ClaimThe New South Wales government passed legislation earlier this year amending the state's Library Act to better protect institutions from campaigns to ban books.
ClaimShteinman said if the council permanently removes the book, the mayor, Will Nemesh, and the special minister of state, John Graham, must explain how that is not in breach of the law.
ClaimNasser Mashni, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, said it is a 'library's duty to provide its community access to a broad range of published works'.
ClaimMashni said 'hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, maimed and displaced' and that Gaza's population is facing engineered famine.