From Fox News · Brian Flood · · 2m
Times removes line questioning Israeli Oct 7 victimhood
The New York Times deleted a sentence that critics said portrayed Israelis' experience of Hamas's terror attack as mere perception rather than fact.
In brief
The New York Times deleted a sentence that critics said portrayed Israelis' experience of Hamas's terror attack as mere perception rather than fact. The Times acknowledged an editing error led to language that seemed to question whether Israelis were actually victims of October 7, not just how they perceived it…
Times deletes controversial sentence
The New York Times removed a line from reporter Isabel Kershner's article that suggested Israelis 'still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7,' implying their victimhood was perception rather than fact.
“But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7”
Critics compare to 9/11 framing
Journalist Eitan Fischberger said the phrasing was grotesque, comparing it to if the Times had written that Americans 'still largely view themselves as the victims of 9/11' or Pearl Harbor.
“Whatever one thinks about the war that followed, Israelis were absolutely the victims of horrific atrocities on October 7.”
October 7 attack killed 1,200
Hamas's October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, with Israeli civilians targeted at homes and an outdoor music festival. Hamas also took 254 hostages.
Times calls it an editing error
The New York Times told Fox News the sentence was included because of an 'editing error' and removed it from the report, adding an editors' note explaining the mistake.
Study found bias in Times coverage
A Yale School of Management review found a clear bias against Israel in the Times' early coverage of the Israel-Gaza war. Fischberger called the deleted sentence 'the epitome of the pattern the study found.'
“This sentence is the epitome of the pattern the study found.”
Social media backlash erupted
Conservative pundit Scott Jennings and many others blasted the Times on social media before the correction, with critics asking who the victims were if not Israelis.
“No words for this abomination.”
Times also faced 9/11 criticism
Last week, the Times was accused of treating Muslims as the true victims of September 11 attacks, publishing stories focused on Islamophobia rather than the attacks themselves.
Times defends its reporting
The Times stood by its journalism, calling the backlash 'a disingenuous attempt to seek attention and stoke outrage' while defending its coverage of human rights abuses and war crimes.
At a glance
The Times acknowledged an editing error led to language that seemed to question whether Israelis were actually victims of October 7, not just how they perceived it.
