RSS
Joy Reid Is Out at MSNBC; How Did She Treat Jewish People and Israel?
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid.
A student of mine once asked if it was more important to be accurate or entertaining in TV journalism. I explained that ethically, it is crucial to be factual, but ratings are important — so on balance, an extremely charismatic person that could make people have an emotional reaction could be more valuable than a boring host who only conveys facts.
TV host Joy Reid is charismatic, and she delivers her comments with a strong cadence and power. It was announced that she will be leaving MSNBC this week. Before the 2024 election, she said that her goal was “to keep Hitler out of the White House,” and on her MSNBC show, she said that the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden mirrored a Nazi rally at MSG in 1939.
But that’s not right. She was correct that some of the language was disturbing — and there were things at the event that were vile and absurd, including calling then Vice President Kamala Harris the anti-Christ. But that does not make it a Nazi rally.
Reid played a clip of Sid Rosenberg, who is Jewish and a radio host, saying at the rally that it was “out of character for me” to speak at a Nazi rally, and her analysis was that Rosenberg “said the quiet part out loud.” Not at all. He was being sarcastic and poking fun at people who called it a Nazi rally.
And Reid has a history of being problematic on Israel.
Karen Bekker of CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, wrote that Reid’s show on the Monday after the October 7 attack “would have been right at place if it had aired on Iranian state TV”:
Her guests Peter Beinart, Ayman Mohyeldin, Ali Velshi and Lt. General Stephen Twitty ignored Hamas’s dedication to genocidal violence as expressed in its charter and in its leaders’ rhetoric, omitted any mention of offers of Palestinian sovereignty and independence, and sought to imply that the carnage was inevitable due to Israel’s actions – therefore excusing and justifying Hamas’s barbaric attack.
I did not see that episode. On another show, Reid said that she hated the killing of all children, whether it was at a kibbutz or in Gaza. I think all people of good conscience want all children to grow up and live in peace. But Reid was making a moral equivalence between Israeli children who were intentionally massacred by Hamas, and unfortunate cases where children may have been accidental and unintended victims of Israel’s war of defense against Hamas.
Reid had some good moments, saying that if one disagrees with actions by the government of Israel, it would not be logical to take it out on American Jews. She was right to speak out about the tragedy in Gaza, but wrong to put the blame mostly on Israel with very little on Hamas.
But it begs the question: had Harris won instead of Trump, would Reid still have her show? Fox News, which is correctly considered the most pro-Israel cable news network, has Trey Yingst deliver award-worthy reporting — but for some reason he calls Hamas “militants” or “fighters,” which is incorrect, because Hamas is deemed a terrorist organization by the US. Many ignore his mistake, but I don’t and it is noteworthy that most others on the network do call them terrorists.
Accuracy is tough to come by when it comes to Israel, and I hope the lies that are spread by the media and others vilifying Israel won’t be believed. Still, no journalist should fear being punished by being accurate in their criticism, even if controversial.
Do journalists tell people what to care about, or are journalists covering what they know people already care about? Right after October 7, 2023, the general public seemed to care about Israeli hostages, but now, not so much. At the beginning of the Russia invasion of Ukraine, there were flags everywhere, and yet I haven’t heard a word about how many Ukrainian children were kidnapped and if they would all be returned in any possible deal.
We can’t have it all. But I’d like someone who is both accurate and entertaining, or at least will apologize and make a correction when they’re wrong.
Overall, we need to keep an eye on the media — and realize that things are not always as they seem.
The author is a writer based in New York.
The post Joy Reid Is Out at MSNBC; How Did She Treat Jewish People and Israel? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Most Americans Want Hamas Removed From Gaza, Support Strikes Against Iran’s Nuclear Facilities, Poll Finds
Pro-Israel rally in Times Square, New York City, US, Oct. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
Overwhelming majorities of American voters want Israel to permanently evict Hamas from Gaza, support Israel’s fight against the Palestinian terrorist group, and believe the Jewish state should carry out preemptive military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.
The poll — conducted from Feb. 19-20 among registered US voters — found that the vast majority of Americans support Israel and hope the Jewish state succeeds in its defensive military operations against Hamas. The data undermines the notion that Israel’s war against Hamas has weakened its popularity among the American people.
A striking 78 percent of Americans believe Hamas should be permanently removed from the Gaza Strip and “not allowed to govern” the Palestinian enclave, the survey found. In comparison, just 22 percent of respondents said they believe the terrorist group should be allowed to maintain its governing role in Gaza.
The findings were consistent across political parties, with 81 percent of Republicans and 74 percent of Democrats stating that Hamas should be replaced as the governing body of Gaza. In contrast, 26 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of Republicans indicated that Hamas’s governing capabilities should not be dismantled.
Meanwhile, 76 percent of respondents agreed that Iran’s nuclear facilities, which US and Israel officials believe are designed to build nuclear weapons, “should be destroyed.” Conversely, 24 percent believe the Iranian nuclear sites, which the regime claims are for peaceful purposes, should be kept intact.
Furthermore, 57 percent of Americans said they agree that the US “should support Israel in airstrikes to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities.” In contrast, 43 percent believe the US should not support such preemptive attacks.
The poll also found that 43 percent of Americans hold a “favorable” view of Israel, compared to 30 percent who hold an unfavorable view of the Jewish state. Hamas, the terrorist group that runs Gaza, is massively unpopular, garnering “favorable” responses from only 8 percent of respondents and “unfavorable” responses from 63 percent.
Only 13 percent of Americans hold a “favorable” opinion of the Palestinian Authority (PA) — the governing entity that runs parts of the West Bank. Around 46 percent of Americans have an “unfavorable” opinion of the PA, according to the poll.
More than three-quarter of Americans support Israel over Hamas in the Gaza war and believe Hamas should immediately release the remaining hostages it kidnapped during its invasion of the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023.
Indeed, 77 percent of Americans indicated they support Israel, compared to 23 percent who support Hamas. Though both main US parties strongly support Israel, Republicans are more solidly aligned behind the Jewish state. Among Democrats, 69 percent said they support Israel and 31 percent support Hamas. Republicans displayed firmer backing of Israel, with 85 percent supporting the Jewish state and 15 percent supporting Hamas.
Likewise, 79 percent of the American public believe Hamas “must release all remaining hostages without any conditions or face serious consequences.” About 74 percent of Democrats and 86 percent of Republicans believe that the terrorist group should hand over the remaining captives in Gaza. In contrast, 25 percent of Democrats and 14 percent of Republicans believe that Hamas should not face serious consequences for failing to release the hostages.
The post Most Americans Want Hamas Removed From Gaza, Support Strikes Against Iran’s Nuclear Facilities, Poll Finds first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Gal Gadot Discusses Hope for Peace in Israel, Says ‘War a Defeat for Everyone’ in Harper’s Bazaar Spain Cover Story
Gal Gadot on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar España’s March 2025 issue. Photo: Harper’s Bazaar España
Israeli actress Gal Gadot is on the cover of the March 2025 issue of Spanish Harper’s Bazaar, and in her cover story for the magazine, she discussed wanting an end to the Israel-Hamas war that began a year and a half ago.
The Petah Tikva native, who stars as the Evil Queen in the live-action remake of the Disney classic “Snow White” debuting next month, also told Harper’s Bazaar España she longs for a swift return of all the hostages that Hamas-led terrorists kidnapped during their deadly rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and took back to the Gaza Strip. The mother of four and “Wonder Woman” star said she hopes for an end to the Israel-Hamas war that would result in a “diplomatic agreement that allows all parts of the table to live a good and prosperous life.”
“I know it sounds cliché, but just as they are teaching us to hate, growing antisemitism, we can also teach us to love,” said Gadot, 39. “I want to believe that love is the force that moves the world. War is a defeat for everyone. Hatred is horrible. It’s toxic to the outside and to the one who hates it.”
Gadot was then asked by the publication if her faith in love conquering all has diminished at all in light of the atrocities experienced by Israel during the war, and how it has impacted Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip under Hamas control. “We can’t afford to lose hope because, if not, what do we have left?” replied the actress, who lives in Los Angeles with her family. “They say it’s always darker before dawn, so I hope that this terrible place we are in now really leads us to the change we all seek. The light will win.”
On Wednesday, the bodies of former Hamas hostages Shiri Bibas, 32, and her two sons – Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 10 months old – were buried in Israel after being returned days earlier as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. Gadot posted about their burial on her Instagram Story and images of Shiri and her two red-headed young boys. “Today, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir will be laid to rest,” Gadot wrote. “The heart is heavy, and the pain is unbearable.”
Gadot has spoken on social media several times about the hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, including one post that highlighted 19-year-old Israeli Liri Albag. In September 2024, she talked about how her life has been impacted by the terrorist attack in October 2023.
“I feel like there’s the life until Oct. 7 and the life after Oct. 7,” Gadot said. “Oct. 7 was a turning point for the entire Jewish community around the world. No one has ever expected or thought that such a horrific thing could happen to our people — could happen in general in the world in 2024. There’s not a day that goes by without me thinking about the hostages and the fact that we’re even here now talking [while] they’re there in Gaza in the tunnels in this hellish reality. That breaks my heart.”
Gadot shared on social media in December 2024 that during the eighth month of her pregnancy last year with her forth daughter, Ori, she had to undergo emergency surgery to treat a blood clot in her brain.
The post Gal Gadot Discusses Hope for Peace in Israel, Says ‘War a Defeat for Everyone’ in Harper’s Bazaar Spain Cover Story first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
BBC Blasted for Gaza Documentary Hiding Palestinian Interviewees’ Antisemitism, Hamas Ties
The BBC logo is seen at the entrance at Broadcasting House, the BBC headquarters in central London. Photo by Vuk Valcic / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The BBC chose to remove the documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone” from its iPlayer streaming platform on Friday pending an internal investigation following a raft of criticisms regarding multiple links to Hamas and inaccurate translations obscuring participants’ antisemitism.
On Feb. 17, the broadcaster debuted the film, which features a 13-year-old narrator (now 14) named Abdullah Al-Yazouri, who viewers identified as the son of Dr. Ayman Al-Yazouri, a man who works as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture. Pro-Israel researcher David Collier said that the boy and his father come from the same family as Hamas founder Ibrahim Al-Yazouri.
“The child of Hamas royalty was given an hour on a BBC channel to walk around looking for sympathy and demonizing Israel,” Collier said. “They followed this family for months. There is no way on earth they did not know who this family was. How can the BBC possibly justify trusting anything else in the entire documentary?”
In addition, Hatem Rawagh, a cameraman who worked on the documentary, has praised Hamas and the terrorist group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel.
Uncovered by the Arabic division of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (CAMERA), Rawagh wrote online on Oct. 7 in reference to the Yom Kippur war that “whoever missed Oct 6 [1973] in Egypt … Oct 7 is happening [now] in Palestine.” The next day he shared a video from Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades which showed a view from a head camera attached to one of the terrorists who shot a rifle and killed an Israeli near the Gaza border. Rawagh wrote, “You are going to come back to this video a million times.”
Amjad Al Fayoumi, another cameraman who worked on the documentary, has likewise advocated for Hamas, posting a salute to the Oct. 7 attacks and sharing “resistance” videos which featured terrorists, rockets, and Israeli funerals.
The cost of the documentary has also come under criticism. “The BBC needs to account for every penny spent on this documentary — £400,000 is a lot of licence-fee payers money,” said Danny Cohen, former director of BBC television. “They should be transparently told where their money went and whether any of it reached the hands of Hamas.”
The documentary has further received backlash for its mistranslations of “Jew” and omissions of “jihad.” The Telegraph reported that on at least five occasions the Arabic word for “Jew”— “Yahud” or “Yahudy” — received the translation “Israel” or “Israeli forces” or was removed altogether.
At four minutes into the film, a woman says, “The Jews invaded our [area],” but the subtitles say, “The Israeli army invaded our area.”
Later in the documentary, the subtitles describe a woman as saying “we’re used to seeing flashes of lightning in the sky. But now it’s real missiles. We’re happy that for once the rockets aren’t falling on us.” However, according to CAMERA, she really said that “at first, when we would see these [flashes], they would be flares, by the way. From the Jews. But now they turned out to be [real] missiles.”
In an interview with another woman, the documentary claims she described the Oct. 7 terror attacks as the “first time we invaded Israel — it was always the other way round.” CAMERA noted that the correct translation of her statement is “we were invading the Jews for the first time.”
Near the film’s conclusion, a woman discusses the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, that “his face was covered and his weapon was ready, prepared for battle.” The correct translation of her statement is reportedly “ready for jihad.” She later says, according to the subtitles, that “the video shows that he was fighting and resisting Israeli forces. He wasn’t hiding.” CAMERA said that the accurate translation of her words is “he was engaging in resistance and jihad against the Jews. Not underground.”
Alex Hearn, the co-director of Labour Against Anti-Semitism, said that “it is this whitewashing that keeps viewers ill-informed about the nature of Hamas, and promotes sympathy for their deadly ideology. This documentary signifies the institutional failure behind the BBC”s reporting of the Israel-Hamas conflict.”
Orly Goldschmidt of the Israeli embassy in the UK said that the mistranslations do not allow “viewers to see how children, and Palestinians at large, have been taught to hate ‘Jews’ from a very young age.”
A spokesperson for the BBC said in a statement that “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone” features “important stories we think should be told — those of the experiences of children in Gaza. There have been continuing questions raised about the program and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company. The program will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.”
Investigators are supposed to deliver a report about the documentary to the BBC on Thursday, the results of which will be made public that day or on Friday.
The post BBC Blasted for Gaza Documentary Hiding Palestinian Interviewees’ Antisemitism, Hamas Ties first appeared on Algemeiner.com.