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Revolting: Media Claim Moral Equivalence Between Terrorists and Hostages in Appalling Ceasefire Coverage
A combination picture shows undated handout images of hostages Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, and Almog Sarusi, who were kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks, and then executed to prevent their return to Israel. Photo: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS
The families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza gathered in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night as details of a tentative ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas were announced.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the agreement, which was followed by a speech by US President Joe Biden, who described the deal as one primed to bring a “permanent end to the war.”
While some of the exact terms remain unclear — including the names of those who will be released and the precise timing — what is certain is that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many jailed for violent and deadly terrorism offenses, will be set free. This includes approximately 1,300 terrorists, around 250 of whom are serving life sentences.
Yet, the media’s coverage of the ceasefire deal has defied belief, managing to portray the release of over 1,000 Palestinian terrorists and prisoners not only as a positive step — but also as somehow morally equivalent to the freeing of Israeli hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
The Associated Press, for example, claimed the deal would involve the release of “hundreds of Palestinian women and children imprisoned by Israel” — a gross misrepresentation of the facts by one of the world’s largest news agencies.
Enough with the false moral equivalence, @AP. The “hundreds of Palestinian women & children imprisoned by Israel” are in jail for terror and violent offenses while Israel’s hostages were brutally kidnapped by Hamas.
And there’s more abysmal reporting of a possible ceasefire
pic.twitter.com/BjFu6i5PIY
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 15, 2025
Sky News went even further, claiming the exchange involved “the release of a number of hostages in exchange for [the] release of Palestinian prisoners as well, including women, children, sick, and elderly on both sides” — drawing a grotesque and false equivalence between innocent hostages and prisoners held for violent offenses.
“The release of a number of hostages in exchange for a release of a number of Palestinian prisoners as well, including women & children & sick & elderly on both sides.”
No, @SkyNews, Israeli hostages are not morally equivalent to Palestinian prisoners held for terror offenses. pic.twitter.com/gRWSpaZaEa
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 15, 2025
Meanwhile, the AFP devoted its coverage to the families of Palestinian prisoners feeling “hopeful” about the ceasefire deal.
In a shamelessly sympathetic piece, the AFP interviewed Wafaa Ghalmi, whose husband, Ahed Ghalmi, is serving a life sentence plus five years for leading the terror cell that assassinated Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001.
Ghalmi expressed her delight at the possibility of her husband’s release, calling it a “happy” time for her family and others in Gaza.
In addition, numerous outlets, including Reuters, NPR, and Sky News, opted to describe the Palestinian prisoners as “detainees,” suggesting they are being held for political reasons rather than for violent terrorist acts.
Even more worryingly, some media outlets suggested that Israel is violating the terms of the deal — before it even took effect.
Reuters, for example, implied that Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday night were a breach of the ceasefire, despite the fact that the truce has not yet commenced. Former MSNBC pundit Mehdi Hasan also weighed in, claiming the agreement would only hold if “Israel sticks to it,” conveniently ignoring Hamas’ long history of breaking ceasefire agreements.
In the coming days, as the ceasefire continues to take effect in stages, it is crucial to remind the media of some key facts:1. Israel has never violated a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
2. Hamas initiated this war on October 7, 2023, when its terrorists crossed the border, massacred innocent civilians, and kidnapped hundreds of men, women, and children. These hostages have been held in inhumane conditions in Gaza’s underground tunnels.
3. There is no moral equivalence between the Israeli hostages — innocent civilians ripped from their homes and a music festival — and the hundreds of terrorists legitimately held in Israeli prisons for violent offenses.
4. Israel’s war in Gaza is against Hamas, a terrorist organization sworn to Israel’s annihilation. Hamas has vowed to repeat October 7 “again and again,” while using Palestinian civilians as human shields and refusing to release the innocent people it abducted.
The media must do their job and report these facts.
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 Revolting: Media Claim Moral Equivalence Between Terrorists and Hostages in Appalling Ceasefire Coverage first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Says Next Hostages to Be Released on Sunday, a Day Later Than Expected
A man looks at pictures and memorabilia related to fallen soldiers, hostages, and people killed during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, ahead of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at a public square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Shir Torem
A Hamas official said on Monday the Palestinian terrorist group would next release hostages on Sunday, a day later than expected under a complex ceasefire accord reached this month with Israel.
Nahed Al-Fakhouri, head of the Hamas prisoners’ media office, said in a statement the names of Israeli hostages it would release would be provided on Saturday. Israel would similarly disclose the names of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the deal, he said.
“Based on these two lists, the actual implementation will be carried out on Sunday,” Al-Fakhouri said.
Hamas had been expected to release four hostages on Saturday, coinciding with a release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
A senior Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that as far as Israel was concerned, the deadline for the next hostages to be released by Hamas was Saturday.
“This is the agreement and must be adhered to,” the official told Reuters.
Earlier this month, Israel and Hamas agreed to a three-phase ceasefire that could bring an end to the 15-month war in Gaza. The ceasefire came into effect on Sunday with Hamas releasing three Israeli hostages. Israel also released Palestinian prisoners and detainees, who were largely imprisoned for involvement in terrorist activities.
The ceasefire accord outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists started the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, when they invaded southern Israel, massacred 1,200 people, and kidnapped 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
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Americans Maintain Overwhelming Support for Israel Amid Ceasefire With Hamas, Poll Finds
Pro-Israel rally in Times Square, New York City, US, Oct. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
An overwhelming share of the American people remains supportive of Israel in its war against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll published over the weekend.
The poll, conducted from Jan. 15-16 among US registered voters, found that 79 percent of Americans support Israel and 21 percent support Hamas, indicating that the Jewish state has remained largely popular with the American public over the course of the 15-month war in Gaza.
Both major political parties strongly back Israel, with 81 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of Democrats, and 80 percent of independents saying that they support it. In contrast, only 25 percent of Democrats, 19 percent of Republicans, and 20 percent of independents responded that they support Hamas, which launched the Gaza war with its invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel maintains strong support among all age brackets, although higher percentages back Hamas among the younger generations. Among those over age 65, the Jewish state enjoys a 90 percent rate of support, compared to only 10 percent of respondents who back Hamas. Among those aged 55-64, 83 percent support Israel and 17 percent support Hamas. Further, among respondents aged 45-54, 77 percent support Israel and 23 percent support Hamas. Seventy-one percent of respondents aged 35-44 support Israel and 29 percent support Hamas.
Israel also enjoys strong support among the youngest age cohorts, despite he prevailing narrative that young Americans are opposed to the Jewish state. According to the poll, 68 percent of respondents aged 25-34 support Israel, compared to 32 percent for Hamas. Likewise, those aged 18-24 support Israel by a margin of 79 to 21 percent.
The poll was conducted days before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Sunday, halting 15 months of war sparked by the terrorist group’s Oct. 7. invasion of the Jewish state. During the onslaught, Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages to Gaza.
Under the ceasefire, Hamas will release 33 hostages over the next six weeks in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners detained in Israel as fighting stops in Gaza. The poll found that 82 percent of respondents support the ceasefire.
In October, a Harvard-Harris poll showed similar results, with Americans indicating support for Israel over Hamas by a margin of 81-19 percent. This was a slight uptick from September, when 79 percent of Americans indicated support for Israel over the terrorist organization.
The post Americans Maintain Overwhelming Support for Israel Amid Ceasefire With Hamas, Poll Finds first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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American Historical Association Vetoes Defaming Anti-Israel Resolution
Pro-Hamas activists gather in Washington Square Park for a rally following a protest march held in response to an NYPD sweep of an anti-Israel encampment at New York University in Manhattan, May 3, 2024. Photo: Matthew Rodier/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The American Historical Association (AHA) has vetoed a controversial resolution, passed by its members earlier this month, which falsely accused Israel of sabotaging the higher education system in Gaza during its war to eradicate the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
As previously reported by The Algemeiner, the resolution — titled, “Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza” — cited damages sustained by education institutions and loss of life, but rather than describing those misfortunes as inevitable consequences of a protracted war that Hamas started by launching a surprise massacre of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023, it argued that Israel’s aim was to murder educators and erase Palestinian history and culture.
The measure was, according to numerous groups which commented on it, intemperate and needlessly political, reducing the AHA to a manufacturer of political conformity. On Thursday, the AHA Council, the primary governing body of the organization, addressed that concern in a statement which announced its vetoing of the resolution and stressed the limits of its institutional mission.
“The Council considers the [resolution] … to contravene the Association’s Constitution because it lies outside the scope of the association’s mission and purpose, defined in its Constitution as ‘the promotion of historical studies through the encouragement of research teaching and publication; the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts; the dissemination of historical records and information; the broadening of historical knowledge among the general public; and the pursuit of kindred activities in the interest of history,’” the statement said.
It continued, “After careful deliberation and consideration, the AHA Council vetoes the resolution.”
AHA was subject to a flurry of criticism after the resolution passed, with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) calling on it to reverse course and protect its reputation as a “respected source for evidence-based, nonpartisan historical perspectives for more than a century.” Meanwhile, the National Association of Scholars (NAS), a higher education nonprofit which promotes intellectual freedom and the restoration of academic standards, argued that the resolution was “disgraceful for its unwillingness to state forthrightly Hamas’s culpability for the indeed lamentable destruction of Gaza’s educational infrastructure.”
On Friday, the ADL said “we welcome” the veto of the resolution, adding that it “would not only alienate many members but also deviate from the [its] core purpose and undermine the AHA’s credibility.”
The AHA is not the first professional association for academics to have endorsed partisan attacks on Israel.
In August, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) issued a statement which endorsed academic boycotts, a seismic decision which overturned decades of policy and cleared the way for scholar-activists to escalate their efforts to purge the university of Zionism and educational partnerships with Israel.
The previous year, members of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) overwhelmingly voted to approve a resolution calling for a full academic boycott of Israeli academic institutions. With the resolution’s approval, the AAA, established in 1902 and based in Arlington, Virginia, became the first major academic professional association to endorse the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel since the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) did in 2022.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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