Over 300 Influential Figures Initiate Boycott Against New York Times Op-Ed for Alleged Anti-Palestinian Bias
More than 300 writers, scholars, and public intellectuals have vowed to withhold their contributions from the Opinion section of the publication.
The writers have opted to withhold their labor in protest, calling on the Opinion pages to take responsibility for what they perceive as biased coverage and to commit to truthful and ethical reporting on the US-Israeli conflict in Gaza.
The coalition, motivated by a dedication to ethical journalism, is addressing persistent concerns about the newspaper’s depiction of the Palestinian experience, especially in relation to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
A group of esteemed individuals, identified as “writers of conscience,” have pledged their support. Among these signatories are notable personalities such as Rima Hassan, Rashida Tlaib, Kaveh Akbar, Sally Rooney, Tareq Baconi, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Greta Thunberg, Elia Suleiman, and Rupi Kaur, alongside numerous others. Additionally, prominent voices from the literary world, including Jonny Diamond and Dan Sheehan of Lit Hub, have joined this collective endeavor.
The statement has garnered support from approximately 150 former contributors to The Times and numerous Palestinian solidarity groups. Among the endorsing organizations are Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG), the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), and the Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC).
They criticized the New York Times for its “extended history of serving as a mouthpiece for the Israeli government and military,” highlighting its ongoing “anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian prejudices.”
In response to these pressing concerns, the organization has articulated three main demands:
The commitment is initiated with a strong statement from Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat, asserting that “language enables the justification of genocide. One significant factor in why the bombings continue after 243 days is due to the influence of The New York Times and the majority of Western media.”
In a tragic turn of events, Shabat was killed by Israeli forces just months after expressing these views.
In their concluding remarks, the authors underscore the ethical obligation to support Palestinian journalists.
The group asserted that there is a responsibility to support Palestinian journalists and authors by challenging the Times to acknowledge and address its shortcomings. They emphasized the importance of ensuring the paper does not in the future facilitate approval for widespread violence, torture, and displacement.
The boycott serves as a deliberate decision to withdraw support from the publication, acting as a powerful demand for accountability, integrity, and a dedication to truthful journalism in the face of an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
On October 7, 2023, Israel initiated a significant military campaign in Gaza following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, known as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. This move was a response to what Hamas described as escalating acts of aggression by the regime against the Palestinian population.
Israel has agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza following an inability to fully realize its stated goals of dismantling Hamas and securing the release of all hostages. According to Gaza’s health ministry, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of 68,527 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and left 170,395 individuals injured.
