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Sickening: Why Did Western Media Outlets Praise Hassan Nasrallah?
“Charismatic.” “Revered.” A grandfatherly figure?
According to many media outlets, Hezbollah’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was all “live, laugh, and love.”
But let’s not get it twisted. Nasrallah was an evil terrorist with blood on his hands — and not just of Jews.
Major media outlets are describing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as “charismatic” and “shrewd,” even using smiling photos to soften his image. But Nasrallah’s real legacy? Deadly bombings, rocket attacks, and civilian deaths—including the U.S. Embassy bombing and the Buenos… pic.twitter.com/YH1tleNo5P
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 28, 2024
Despite his track record of killing Americans, Israelis, Lebanese (including the country’s former president), Sky News chose to memorialize the butcher of Syria’s Sunni population with a sweet, smiling picture of him:
Hey, @SkyNews, do you always use stock images of terrorist leaders that make them look like benign grandfatherly figures? Or is it only when they’ve been eliminated by Israel? pic.twitter.com/VFEhakqlkB
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 28, 2024
The same thing happened with the media’s coverage of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination.
Some of the world’s most evil and oppressive figures are receiving moments of silence and fawning obituaries in commemoration of their lifetime achievements — and it’s being done by the biggest media outlets in the world.
Distortion of facts and truth is a common thread:
Hezbollah has been committing terrorist attacks against Americans and the west for decades. The “region” launched a genocidal war against Israel 12 months ago.
Fighting back doesn’t create a “region full of people who hate them.” The mere existence of Israel does. https://t.co/0R4Js4aBun
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 28, 2024
Needless to say, reactions across the social platform X (formerly Twitter) called out this complete distortion of the truth.
The Associated Press has since changed its headline, but not before it was exposed:
.@AP I’m sorry for your loss.
“Charismatic and shrewd…. an astute strategist… considered a pragmatist… idolized by his Lebanese Shiite followers… respected by millions across the Arab and Islamic world… ” https://t.co/bezopcUSTe
Maybe next time, speak to his victims. pic.twitter.com/qUb3EbRMri
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 28, 2024
The Guardian did not hold back either. This tweet sums up how we all feel while reading this sentence:
Also the @guardian: “Adolf Hitler was a gifted painter, compelling public speaker and competent organizer.” pic.twitter.com/tcDrMF5HA3
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) September 28, 2024
This profile on Nasrallah by The New York Times, may as well be a love letter. Since its publication, words have been changed to appear vague, but are still rather favorable towards a killer:
He often referred to Israel as “the Zionist entity” and maintained that Jewish people who arrived from other countries over decades should return to their nations of origin, and said that Israel should be replaced by the state of Palestine, with equality for all residents.
The writer was caught portraying Nasrallah as a believer in coexistence for one state for Jews, Christians, and Muslims in “Palestine,” and framed as a responsible leader concerned with the needs of his people:
Are you kidding me, @nytimes? pic.twitter.com/XL08ksucoD
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) September 29, 2024
Unfortunately, the bizarre obituary did not stop there. It is filled with respectful descriptions of Nasrallah and his popularity amongst the suffering Shiite Lebanese population. Almost as if he was progressive:
He came across as less dour than most Shiite clerics, partly because of his roly-poly figure, a slight lisp and a propensity to crack jokes. He never pushed hard-line Islamic rules, like veils for women in the neighborhoods that Hezbollah controls. Analysts attributed that to his exposure in his youth to many of Lebanon’s 17 religious sects and his desire not to isolate Lebanese outside of Hezbollah’s religious Shiite base.
And publications like Le Monde came out with an obituary describing his features almost lovingly, and accentuating his “heroic” nature. It almost seems cool to be Israel’s biggest adversary, and the Middle East’s “object of fascination.”
With his black turban, reserved for descendants of the Prophet, thin glasses and thick salt-and-pepper beard, Hassan Nasrallah has been the face of Hezbollah for over three decades. At the head of this militia dedicated to armed struggle against Israel, which has become a state above the Lebanese state, the Shiite leader has held the fate of the country in his hands, in war and in peace.
But quite frankly, it’s embarrassing to read.
Nasrallah, an evil murderer, was granted obituaries he didn’t deserve. While he may have been seen as a heroic and revered figure by his followers, why should this matter when he has so much blood on his hands over the course of decades?
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 Sickening: Why Did Western Media Outlets Praise Hassan Nasrallah? 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.
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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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