Journalists supporting Palestine continue facing pressure by Western media

By Faruk Hanedar

ISTANBUL (AA) - Journalists who support Palestinians continue facing pressures, dismissals and threats from Western media organizations.

As Israel continues its attacks on the Gaza Strip, causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis – another war of narratives is taking place in the media.

Leading Western media organizations are putting pressure on their employees to censor the Palestinian narrative and conceal the atrocities committed by Israel.

Journalists who raise their voices against Israel's actions are forced to choose between their conscience and their jobs.

Bassam Bounenni, who resigned from BBC in protest, and Zahraa al-Akhrass, who was fired by Global News for refusing to remove her pro-Palestinian social media posts, spoke to Anadolu at the Media's Struggle for Truth in the Gaza War: Violence, Disinformation, Censorship symposium organized by Türkiye's Presidential Communication Directorate.

They discussed the pressures faced by journalists supporting Palestinians and the processes of leaving their jobs in Western countries.

- 'Many journalists had to resign'

Bounenni criticized the stance of Western media against Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Describing the stance of Western media as "shocking" and "disappointing," Bounenni stated: "We have seen how many news, many verifiable facts were downplayed, including those reported by rights groups or official statements made by the United Nations, including the secretary-general."

Bounenni said that despite the suffering of the Palestinian people for 75 years, Western media detached the issue by framing the conflict as if it started on Oct. 7.

He expressed his disappointment with the articles suggesting it was impossible to enter Gaza, the claims that tunnels ran underneath hospitals and other facilities, and the belittling of statements by human rights groups. Therefore, he said, he decided to resign.

He further said the civilians in Gaza are not treated the same way as civilians in Israel, and Gazans are demonized.

Highlighting the significant pressure on journalists supporting Palestine in Western countries, Bounenni continued: "There was a huge pressure pushed by the way by many pro-Israel groups like Memory, like Camera, which are claiming to monitor the media content. And many journalists were obliged to resign," he said.

"To be honest, my situation is not exactly like that, but some were fired. The latest example of this is Antoinette Lattouf from ABC in Australia. She was fired just for sharing a report from Human Rights Watch on social media," he said.

Bounenni mentioned a clear moral crisis in the West, but he anticipated a change in mindset as the younger generation witnessed many things live.

- 'Company asked me to remove my social media posts'

Akhrass also criticized the attitude of Western media organizations, saying: "As pro-Palestinian journalists, we often face threats and attempts to silence us. When we try to challenge the status quo, we are accused of imbalance, and charged with being biased.

"If we insist on opposing the biased broadcasts of Western media, we are censored, diverted from the subject and the agenda. We are asked not to report on Palestine, and if we push further, we are expelled from the industry, fired from our jobs," she said.

Describing her dismissal process from Global News, Akhrass said that during her three years of working at the institution, she posted pro-Palestinian messages from her personal social media accounts and that the company was always uncomfortable with her anti-Zionist posts.

Akhrass said: "They asked me twice in the past to remove my social media posts criticizing Israel and supporting the Palestinian people. However, after Oct. 7, when hundreds of Palestinians were killed, and now thousands and tens of thousands are being killed, I felt that the situation was too dire to remain silent and started sharing more on social media."

"The company asked me to remove my social media posts. When I refused, they accused me of being imbalanced and biased as a journalist and subsequently terminated my employment," she added.

After publicly announcing her dismissal, Akhrass stated that many journalists supported her, but they too were intimidated by censorship and pressure.

Despite receiving support from dozens of colleagues from Canada, the US, and Western news centers in general, Akhrass mentioned that they were afraid to do the same due to the consequences she faced.

Stressing that people compromise their conscience out of fear of losing their jobs when it comes to criticizing Israel, Akhrass said: "When it comes to criticizing Israel, they don't allow the use of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and press freedom; because they will face terrible and unfair consequences and lose their jobs."

*Writing by Alperen Aktas