New York Times Faces Backlash for Article Questioning October 7 Victims
The newspaper issued an editors' note and removed a sentence after widespread criticism that it seemed to cast doubt on Israelis being victims of the Hamas attack.
The New York Times is facing significant backlash for a report that critics say questioned whether Israelis were the victims of Hamas' October 7 terror attack. The article, written by Jerusalem-based journalist Isabel Kershner, focused on a documentary about the killing of Palestinians by Israeli forces in Gaza.
While discussing Israelis' perception of the film, the report included a sentence that appeared to question whether Israelis were victims of the October 7 attack, rather than stating it as fact. The sentence read: 'But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of October 7.'
This phrasing ignited outrage online, with critics decrying the suggestion that the victimhood of Israelis in the attack was a matter of perception. The controversy led The Times to issue an editors' note and remove the sentence days after the article's publication on Monday.
Among those criticizing the report was writer Eitan Fischberger, a former Israel Defense Forces soldier, who posted on X, "What the f**k is this, @nytimes? It's not even an opinion piece. A standard news article just casually drops a line suggesting that Israelis were not the REAL victims of October 7th."
CNN panelist Scott Jennings described the report as "No words for this abomination," while radio show host Mark Levin called it "The Holocaust denying NYT at it again."
On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants launched air and ground attacks on Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. These attacks marked the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas War.
Some critics drew parallels between the phrasing in The Times' report and questioning the victimhood of those affected by the September 11 terror attacks. One social media user commented, "'But New Yorkers still largely view themselves as the victims of 9/11.' Same vibes."
After the widespread criticism, The New York Times released an editors' note on Wednesday. "Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article included a statement that was intended to convey Israelis’ perception of the government’s military response to the October 7 terror attack in relation to the attacks, but inadvertently suggested that Israelis’ experience as terror victims was a matter of perception. It has been removed from the article," the note stated.
When asked for comment, The New York Times referred to their editors' note. The Daily Mail also reached out to Kershner for comment.