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Pulitzer Prize Distracts From Systemic New York Times Bias
Pop, pop, pop. That’s not the sound of gunfire in Gaza, but the uncorking of champagne bottles in Times Square and the Jerusalem bureau of The New York Times, as the Gray Lady celebrates winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for “its wide-ranging and revelatory coverage of Hamas’ lethal attack in southern Israel on October 7, Israel’s intelligence failures and the Israeli military’s sweeping, deadly response in Gaza.”
But is The New York Times a deserving winner, and is this Pulitzer Prize a ringing endorsement of the paper’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war during the past several months?
The Winning Articles
It’s no secret that The New York Times has been the subject of intense criticism from HonestReporting and other organizations for its coverage since October 7. There are clearly systemic problems in the newsroom when it comes to reporting on Israel. Nonetheless, it would be foolish to entirely dismiss the paper’s ability to produce high-quality journalism when dogma and personal agendas are left to the side. And given the enormous output of articles published since October 7, there were plenty of stories for editors to choose from when selecting what to send to the Pulitzer committee.
Most out of the seven selected articles did a professional job of investigating the events of October 7. Others, however, were problematic.
One, “Video Investigation: Visual Evidence Shows Israel Dropped 2,000-Pound Bombs Where It Ordered Gaza’s Civilians to Move for Safety,” claimed Israel’s air force used US-provided 2,000-pound bombs in Gaza, specifically a model that “is one of the most destructive munitions in Western military arsenals.”
According to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, however, The New York Times based its analysis on the wrong bomb, a particular ordinance that explodes on impact with little penetration properties, while Ira Stoll expounded on the other biases in the piece.
Another story, “The War Turns Gaza Into a ‘Graveyard’ for Children,” was written by
Other stories in the package, while not problematic from a textual perspective, do include selected images provided by Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa for Reuters and Hatem Ali for Associated Press, both of whose photos were utilized by The New York Times after they knew they had infiltrated Israel on October 7, as exposed by HonestReporting. (More on that later.)
What Wasn’t Included
As interesting as what was included in The New York Times’ seven-article submission to the Pulitzer committee is what didn’t make the cut.
For example, the investigation into Hamas sexual violence and rape on October 7, “Screams Without Words,” did not feature in the Pulitzer package despite being the first mainstream media article to expose these atrocities to the wider world.
The article was subsequently attacked by anti-Israel media and activists who feared that it would promote a “pro-Israel” narrative, and give further justification for Israel’s military campaign to destroy Hamas.
New York Times staff also sought to delegitimize the article in leaked internal arguments, contributing to the rape denial spread by Hamas sympathizers.
Pulitzer Gives Legitimacy to Poor Journalism?
Seven stories don’t adequately sum up The New York Times’ overall reporting since October 7. The Pulitzer committee stated it had awarded the prize, in part, for coverage of the “Israeli military’s sweeping, deadly response in Gaza.”
As far as the general public is concerned, the paper is being rewarded, not for several submitted pieces, but for the breadth of its reporting.
And that reporting leaves a lot to be desired. A look through HonestReporting’s website and social media feeds over the past several months reveals no end of problems concerning New York Times coverage, including:
Israel Accused of Al-Ahli Hospital Strike
“Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say,” blared The New York Times’ initial summary in the aftermath of what was shortly proven to be a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket strike on the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.
The New York Times jumped at the opportunity to lay the blame at Israel’s door, including by parroting the claim in a subsequent headline that 500 people had died without even bothering to mention that Hamas controls the Palestinian Health Ministry.
#MeToo… unless you’re a Jew.
The media has been quick to accuse Israel of sin but “cannot independently verify” any of Hamas’ well-documented atrocities. That’s not journalism, it’s populism. It’s biased. And, it’s wrong. Your readers deserve better, @nytimes. pic.twitter.com/aA6LADJV12
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) December 29, 2023
Showcasing Gazan Photojournalists Who Infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7
Last November, HonestReporting exposed the presence inside Israel on October 7 of Gazan photojournalists who had illegally crossed the border with Hamas. In addition to those already mentioned above, the work of freelance photojournalist Yousef Masoud from inside Gaza throughout the Israel-Hamas war was featured in The New York Times, which submitted his photos to the prestigious George Polk Awards — a Pulitzer precursor that he won last February.
After more information emerged, including Masoud citing Hitler on a social media post, HonestReporting publicly called on the Pulitzer Board not to reward such behavior.
Ultimately, Masoud was not honored with a Pulitzer.
Rehiring a Pro-Hitler, Pro-Terror Freelancer
We were appalled when The New York Times rehired a freelancer previously exposed by HonestReporting for his pro-Hitler, pro-terrorist social media posts.
OUTRAGE: @nytimes has rehired Gazan freelance filmmaker Soliman Hijjy (also spelled Sulaiman Hejji) who praised Adolf Hitler on social media and later posted he was “in a state of harmony as Hitler was during the Holocaust.” pic.twitter.com/V0UmjQrmyX
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) October 20, 2023
Following a significant public outcry as a result of HonestReporting’s campaigning, Soliman Hijjy quietly disappeared from New York Times bylines, despite the paper’s attempts to defend his employment.
No Gold Standard
The New York Times should be recognized when it does what it aspires to and produces fair, balanced and professional stories. It should also be called out when it all too often deviates from those aspirations and descends into the anti-Israel bias that characterizes so much of its reporting.
The awarding of a Pulitzer Prize has effectively given the seal of approval for all of the paper’s Israel-Hamas war coverage — including all of those times that the Gray Lady has not lived up to appropriate standards. Bad behavior has been swept under the carpet.
Where The New York Times goes, other media follow, along with politicians and influencers. Appointing the Gray Lady’s coverage as the gold standard makes accountability even harder in an already febrile atmosphere.
The author is the Editorial Director of 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 Pulitzer Prize Distracts From Systemic New York Times Bias first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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North London Synagogue, Nursery Targeted in Eighth Local Antisemitic Incident in Just Over a Week
Demonstrators against antisemitism in London on Sept. 8, 2025. Photo: Campaign Against Antisemitism
A synagogue and its nursery school in the Golders Green area of north London were targeted in an antisemitic attack on Thursday morning — the eighth such incident locally in just over a week amid a shocking surge of anti-Jewish hate crimes in the area.
The synagogue and Jewish nursery were smeared with excrement in an antisemitic outrage echoing a series of recent incidents targeting the local Jewish community.
“The desecration of another local synagogue and a children’s nursery with excrement is a vile, deliberate, and premeditated act of antisemitism,” Shomrim North West London, a Jewish organization that monitors antisemitism and also serves as a neighborhood watch group, said in a statement.
“This marks the eighth antisemitic incident locally in just over a week, to directly target the local Jewish community,” the statement read. “These repeated attacks have left our community anxious, hurt, and increasingly worried.”
Local law enforcement confirmed they are reviewing CCTV footage and collecting evidence to identify the suspect and bring them to justice.
This latest anti-Jewish hate crime came just days after tens of thousands of people marched through London in a demonstration against antisemitism, amid rising levels of antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In just over a week, seven Jewish premises in Barnet, the borough in which Golders Green is located, have been targeted in separate antisemitic incidents.
According to the Metropolitan Police, an investigation has been launched into the targeted attacks, all of which involved the use of bodily fluids.
During the incidents, a substance was smeared on four synagogues and a private residence, while a liquid was thrown at a school and over a car in two other attacks.
As the investigation continues, local police said they believe the same suspect is likely responsible for all seven offenses, which are being treated as religiously motivated criminal damage.
No arrests have been made so far, but law enforcement said it is actively engaging with the local Jewish community to provide reassurance and support.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters, condemned the recent wave of attacks and called on authorities to take immediate action.
“The extreme defilement of several Jewish locations in and around Golders Green is utterly abhorrent and deeply distressing,” CST said in a statement.
“CST is working closely with police and communal partners to support victims and help identify and apprehend the perpetrator,” it continued.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) also denounced the attacks, calling for urgent measures to protect the Jewish community.
“These repeated incidents are leaving British Jews anxious and vulnerable in their own neighborhoods, not to mention disgusted,” CAA said in a statement.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, the United Kingdom has experienced a surge in antisemitic crimes and anti-Israel sentiment.
Last month, CST published a report showing there were 1,521 antisemitic incidents in the UK from January to June of this year. It marks the second-highest total of incidents ever recorded by CST in the first six months of any year, following the first half of 2024 in which 2,019 antisemitic incidents were recorded.
In total last year, CST recorded 3,528 antisemitic incidents for 2024, the country’s second worst year for antisemitism despite being an 18 percent drop from 2023’s record of 4,296.
In previous years, the numbers were significantly lower, with 1,662 incidents in 2022 and 2,261 hate crimes in 2021.
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Germany to Hold Off on Recognizing Palestinian State but Will Back UN Resolution for Two-State Solution
German national flag flutters on top of the Reichstag building, that seats the Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, March 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Germany will support a United Nations resolution for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but does not believe the time has come to recognize a Palestinian state, a government spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.
“Germany will support such a resolution which simply describes the status quo in international law,” the spokesman said, adding that Berlin “has always advocated a two-state solution and is asking for that all the time.”
“The chancellor just mentioned two days ago again that Germany does not see that the time has come for the recognition of the Palestinian state,” the spokesman added.
Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium have all said they will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, although London said it could hold back if Israel were to take steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commit to a long-term peace process.
The United States strongly opposes any move by its European allies to recognize Palestinian independence.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US has told other countries that recognition of a Palestinian state will cause more problems.
Those who see recognition as a largely symbolic gesture point to the negligible presence on the ground and limited influence in the conflict of countries such as China, India, Russia, and many Arab states that have recognized Palestinian independence for decades.
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UN Security Council, With US Support, Condemns Strikes on Qatar
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned recent strikes on Qatar’s capital Doha, but did not mention Israel in the statement agreed to by all 15 members, including Israel‘s ally the United States.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with the attack on Tuesday, escalating its military action in what the United States described as a unilateral attack that does not advance US and Israeli interests.
The United States traditionally shields its ally Israel at the United Nations. US backing for the Security Council statement, which could only be approved by consensus, reflects President Donald Trump’s unhappiness with the attack ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar. They underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” read the statement, drafted by Britain and France.
The Doha operation was especially sensitive because Qatar has been hosting and mediating negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
“Council members underscored that releasing the hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the war and suffering in Gaza must remain our top priority,” the Security Council statement read.
The Security Council will meet later on Thursday to discuss the Israeli attack at a meeting due to be attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.