Antoinette Lattouf was hired on a casual basis to present the Mornings show on ABC Radio Sydney over five days in December 2023.
She was dismissed three days into her role after sharing a Human Rights Watch post saying Israel had used starvation as a "weapon of war" in Gaza.
Antoinette Lattouf said she had received death threats. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)
Six months after launching her Federal Court lawsuit against the ABC, Lattouf posted a video on Instagram saying she was recognised publicly but had not signed up to be the "poster girl" for humanity, justice and press freedom.
Under questioning by the ABC's barrister Ian Neil SC as a hearing continued on Tuesday, Lattouf said she had been hired to speak on air about cats and Christmas pudding but had shared a post that came at a significant cost.
"Ongoing litigation, continually lied about, defamed, derided by the new chair of the ABC at the National Press Club, I've had the most horrible mischaracterisations about me in the Murdoch press," she told the court.
"I don't want any of this. I shared a Human Rights Watch post."
Lattouf says she had received death threats and become paranoid that people were following her.
Earlier on Tuesday, she recounted a phone call with ABC Radio Sydney content director Elizabeth Green two days before she was let go.
Ms Green allegedly described the ABC receiving a flood of complaints from pro-Israel lobbyists about the decision to put Lattouf on air.
"I said 'If the sky was blue, they'd probably have a problem with it'," Lattouf told the court.
"(Green) said 'Yes I agree, it's angering me that I have to have this conversation'."
Lattouf said she then pushed back on a suggestion that she keep a low profile on social media and perhaps refrain from posting anything during her stint with the ABC.
"I said 'I don't think it's fair that I don't post'," she told the court.
Lattouf said Green eventually agreed she could post facts from reputable sources but conjecture or misinformation was off the table.
Despite being let go because of the Human Rights Watch post, the ABC and BBC had published two articles on the organisation's claims in the days before, she said.
"I decided that if it was good enough for the ABC and BBC to source, then it was good enough for my social media."
When Mr Neil pointed out that both news organisations had also published the Israeli government's response to the accusations for balance, Lattouf again remained critical.
Antoinette Lattouf challenged what she thought was arbitrary use of the ABC's social media policies. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)
"I would trust the findings of Human Rights Watch, a reputable independent organisation, than a country being accused of doing these things saying 'Nah, I didn't do it'."
A key issue in the case is whether the ABC gave Lattouf a direction not to post anything on social media.
The public broadcaster is defending the case, saying that the freelance journalist was let go after breaching this direction as well as its editorial policies of impartiality.
From the witness box, Lattouf denied being given any orders, saying Ms Green had offered a suggestion they then discussed in their conversation.
She said she had pushed back against what she saw as an arbitrary use of the ABC's social media policy.
"I've been a journalist long enough to know that it's a bit strange just to pick and choose which presenters can share facts about what topics," Lattouf said.
She said she was in shock and trying to get clarity after her dismissal because the ABC did not tell her how she allegedly breached the policy.
Lattouf says she was unfairly dismissed because of her political opinion and race.
The hearing continues.
