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CNN Producers Covering Israel-Hamas War Spread Blood Libels; Denounce ‘Zionist Entity’ in Vile Social Media Posts

CNN logo. Photo: Josh Hallett / Flickr

Two journalists working for CNN and covering the current Israel-Hamas war posted a string of disturbing antisemitic and anti-Israel comments on their social media accounts, HonestReporting can reveal.

Richard Harlow, a British cameraman who is based in Beirut, has posted to his social media accounts several vile pieces of content relating to the current conflict, including one that falsely accuses the Jewish state of murdering Palestinians and stealing their organs, in what has been described as a modern-day blood libel.

In other comments online, Harlow denied Hamas has any presence in the West Bank, but accused the IDF of “killing” people there anyway.

Hamas not only operates numerous cells across the West Bank, but also commands widespread support among Palestinians in the territory.

In another post, Harlow complained that “people are still talking about decapitated babies but no one’s talking about the Palestinian babies that HAVE been murdered BY the Israelis.”

Harlow recently told friends online that he had been tasked with editing images and footage taken by a local Gazan stringer to be used by CNN. At a time when images and footage from Gaza should be under greater scrutiny, Harlow is in a position where he is responsible for potentially sensitive content that is seen by millions.

In addition, Harlow’s byline has appeared on several other pieces relating to Israel. Here is some content he has shared:

“Supporting the Zionist Entity is the Greatest Insult”

Another CNN producer based in Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Abdelbary, also has a history of posting anti-Israel hate messages online.

Abdelbary joined the network in 2021 as part of the CNN Academy, and was later hired as an associate producer for Connect the World With Becky Anderson, while also contributing to the Abu Dhabi bureau’s “Meanwhile in the Middle East” newsletter.

Congratulations to Mohammed Abdelbary, Dana Abdulrahman, and Tasmiyah Randeree, graduates of our first CNN Academy in Abu Dhabi, who are doing great work supporting our Expo coverage in Dubai.https://t.co/Kg4TLABhHb

— Becky Anderson (@BeckyCNN) October 8, 2021

Around the time that Abdelbary was accepted into the CNN Academy, he was also using the social media network Twitter (now X) to complain about the “Zionist entity” in language that is most frequently used by the Iranian regime and denies the legitimacy of the Israeli state.

In the same tweet, he accused Israel of forcibly sterilizing Ethiopian Jewish women — an incendiary charge that was proven false and saw numerous leading news organizations retract or modify the original libelous claim.

Other comments on Abdelbary’s profile that date back to 2014 — the year Hamas sparked another war with Israel by firing rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip — include “f** Israel” [original language omitted], and his wish that the Jewish state gets “crushed by the Palestinians.”

Yet, Abdelbary’s obvious bias toward Israel has not prevented him from being tasked with reporting extensively on the Israel-Hamas war, including a lead byline on a piece just 13 days after the Hamas attack that included claims Israel is committing war crimes in its immediate response to the terrorist atrocity.

He has also contributed to numerous newsletters focused on the Israel-Hamas war that are sent to CNN subscribers.

A CNN spokesperson responded to HonestReporting: “We were not aware of these posts and take what has been reported very seriously. We are now investigating the matter.”

Hours after we reached out to CNN, Abdelbary deleted his tweet in which he uses the phrase “Zionist entity” — a specific post that we flagged to CNN.

CNN’s reportage on the Israel-Hamas war has been uneven, and the outlet has caught flak on several occasions for skewed and misleading pieces. This is in stark contrast to the network’s laudable and important coverage of October 7’s victims by journalists including Jake Tapper, Bianna Golodryga, and Dana Bash, who have highlighted Hamas’ rapes, and the plight of Israeli hostages and their families.

But employing journalists who have a history of posting antisemitic and anti-Israel comments online, and then giving them the responsibility for reporting accurately and fairly on Israel, is unacceptable — and CNN should know this.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

The post CNN Producers Covering Israel-Hamas War Spread Blood Libels; Denounce ‘Zionist Entity’ in Vile Social Media Posts first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Putin Speaks to Trump, Condemns Israel’s Strikes on Iran, Kremlin Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meet in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to US President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, condemning the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressing concern about the risks of escalation, the Kremlin said.

“Vladimir Putin condemned Israel’s military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

Trump, for his part, described events in the Middle East as “very alarming,” according to Ushakov. But the two leaders said they do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran’s nuclear program, Ushakov said.

On Ukraine, Putin told the US leader that Russia was ready to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians after June 22, according to state news agency RIA.

Trump reiterated his interest in a speedy resolution to the conflict, the Kremlin aide said.

Putin also congratulated Trump on his 79th birthday.

The post Putin Speaks to Trump, Condemns Israel’s Strikes on Iran, Kremlin Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Sunday’s US-Iran Nuclear Talks Cancelled, Oman Says

FILE PHOTO: Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi attends a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

The latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat will not take place, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X on Saturday. Oman has been mediating the talks.

Albusaidi’s statement came a day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against Iran, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.

A senior official of US President Donald Trump’s administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Sunday’s talks had been cancelled.

Washington, however, remained committed to the negotiations and hoped “the Iranians will come to the table soon,” the official said.

The post Sunday’s US-Iran Nuclear Talks Cancelled, Oman Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Iran Says Talks with US ‘Meaningless’ After Israel Attack, But Yet to Decide on Attending

USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Iran said the dialogue with the US over Tehran’s nuclear program is “meaningless” after Israel’s biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, but said it is yet to decide on whether to attend planned talks on Sunday.

“The other side (the US) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran’s territory,” state media on Saturday quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.

“It is still unclear what decision we will make on Sunday in this regard,” Baghaei was quoted as saying.

He said Israel “succeeded in influencing” the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington’s permission, accusing Washington of supporting the attack.

Iran earlier accused the US of being complicit in Israel’s attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be “wise” to negotiate over its nuclear program.

The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes.

Iran denies that its uranium enrichment program is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.

The post Iran Says Talks with US ‘Meaningless’ After Israel Attack, But Yet to Decide on Attending first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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