BBC journalist fired for ‘Hitler was right’ blames ‘pro-Israel mob’

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A BBC reporter fired by the broadcaster for once tweeting that “Hitler was right” issued a statement Wednesday blaming the “pro-Israel mob” for his sacking, saying the real motivation had been a recent report she had. published on pro-Palestinian celebrities being canceled.

In the midst of the Gaza war in 2014 – and three years before she was hired by the BBC – Tala Halawa tweeted that #Israel is more #nazi than #Hitler! Oh, #HitlerWasRight #IDF is going to hell. #prierPourGaza.

In her statement this week, Halawa admitted that the post was “ignorant and offensive” but was written by a “young Palestinian woman tweeting in the heat of the moment as I witnessed horrific and undeserved deaths. met in the silence of the international media and was recklessly using a popular hashtag at the time.

She added that the tweet did not reflect her point of view and offered a “sincere apology for posting without thinking.”

But Halawa went on to insist that his post had not been grounds for dismissal and that his former employer had bowed “to pressure from external pro-Israel interest groups and right-wing media determined to eliminate the Palestinians. of public life.

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Pro-Israel media watchdog Honest Reporting was the group that reported the seven-year-old tweet, leading the BBC to launch an internal investigation that ultimately led to Halawa’s sacking.

My statement on my dismissal from the BBC. pic.twitter.com/gWR6tNMfxO

– Tala Halawa (@HalawaTala) July 14, 2021

“This pro-Israel censorship campaign is industrial in scope and international in scope,” Halawa wrote.

“The immediate termination of the BBC at the whim of a pro-Israel mob is all the more absurd considering the real reason pro-Israel groups have turned to me: I recently posted a video report for society on celebrities criticized, trolled and canceled for supporting Palestinian self-determination, ”she wrote.

“The trend of bad faith intimidation of journalists in the region by hostile actors and organized public flogging aims to define the parameters of acceptable journalism to suit Israel, and the international media police maintain an institutional bias. pro-Israel, ”she added.

Halawa also said she was an easy target “both as a Palestinian and as a woman of color.”

She vowed to “continue to believe and fight for honest and courageous journalism, regardless of these trivial attempts at character assassination.”

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