LA Times Owner's Daughter Criticizes Newspaper for Israeli Tourism Advertisement

Nika Soon-Shiong, daughter of Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong and a vocal pro-Palestine activist, has criticized her father's newspaper for featuring a sponsored advertisement for Israeli tourism. The ad includes a map that Soon-Shiong alleges "completely erases the occupied Palestinian territories."

The advertisement, titled "Israel: Land of Creation" and paid for by the official tourism campaign of Israel's Ministry of Tourism, was published through LA Times Studios, the paper's branded content division. According to the independent publication Drop Site News, which Nika Soon-Shiong runs, the map depicts a unified Israel from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, omitting the West Bank and Gaza, and including the Golan Heights.

Drop Site News stated that while the promotion does not violate U.S. law, it contradicts international law. The post referenced the UN Security Council's declaration that Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights was "null and void" and the International Court of Justice's 2024 finding that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful.

Nika Soon-Shiong shared her concerns online, writing, "WHAT ON EARTH?" The advertisement has drawn criticism from various social media users who echoed her sentiments, with some calling for a boycott of the newspaper.

However, James Queally, a staff writer for the LA Times, clarified on X that the newspaper itself was not responsible for the content. "LA Times Studios -- a site company our owner runs using our branding for all kinds of ads, sponsored content and non-journalism that we have no input in -- is," Queally wrote. He added that union stewards have repeatedly questioned whether LA Times Studios adheres to journalistic ethics, stating they are told it is a "separate company."

LA Times Studios and the LA Times are both part of the Los Angeles Media Group, led by Patrick Soon-Shiong, whose net worth is estimated at $18.4 billion. This is not the first time Nika Soon-Shiong has publicly expressed disapproval of her father's media company. Previously, she commented on the LA Times' lack of endorsement for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, linking it to broader political issues. In response to such comments in the past, Patrick Soon-Shiong has emphasized that Nika speaks in her personal capacity and has no role in the editorial decisions of the LA Times.