New York Times grapples with scandal surrounding article alleging Palestinian sexual violence
Co-Author of ‘Hamas rape’ piece found to be IDF propagandist
A substantial scandal has erupted within the ranks of The New York Times (NYT) following the publication of a major front-page story that accused Palestinian resistance fighters of engaging in the 'systematic' use of sexual violence. The controversial article, titled 'Screams Without Words,' has ignited a firestorm of criticism, primarily focused on the credibility of its authors and the potential biases involved.
At the center of the storm is Anat Schwartz, an Israeli filmmaker co-authoring the contentious piece despite lacking a journalism background. Her ties to Israeli military intelligence have raised concerns about potential biases that may have influenced the framing of the article. Adding a layer of complexity, Schwartz's social media activity came under scrutiny, revealing that she had 'liked' posts featuring racism and violence towards Palestinians.
The article, which centered around events during a raid on October 7, made lurid and unevidenced claims about rape and mutilation by Palestinians. However, the family of the victim, prominently featured in the article, vehemently denied the claims. They accused the authors, including Schwartz, of misleading them about the article's purpose and including false information.
In a disturbing revelation that further fueled skepticism about Schwartz's objectivity, it came to light that she had 'liked' a social media post advocating for turning Gaza 'into a slaughterhouse,' including the summary execution of prisoners and violating norms. This revelation has intensified concerns about the journalist's ability to report on such a highly sensitive issue without bias.
Lead author Jeffrey Gettleman faced criticism after asserting that it was 'not his job to gather evidence' for the claims made in the article. This statement, deemed by many as an abdication of basic journalistic responsibility, added fuel to the controversy surrounding the article.
A closer look at Schwartz's background unearthed her service in Israeli military intelligence, contributing to the ongoing debate about the potential influence of her affiliations on the reporting. The NYT, in response to the escalating scandal, has initiated an investigation into the matter, indicating the severity of the concerns surrounding the article.
A report published by ‘The Intercept’ on February 28 stated, “Since the revelations regarding Schwartz’s recent social media activity, her byline has not appeared in the paper and she has not attended editorial meetings. The paper said that a review into her social media “likes” is ongoing. “Those ‘likes’’ are unacceptable violations of our company policy,” said a Times spokesperson.
“The bigger scandal may be the reporting itself, the process that allowed it into print, and the life-altering impact the reporting had for thousands of Palestinians whose deaths were justified by the alleged systematic sexual violence orchestrated by Hamas the paper claimed to have exposed.
“Another frustrated Times reporter who has also worked as an editor there said, “A lot of focus will understandably, rightfully, be directed at Schwartz but this is most clearly poor editorial decision making that undermines all the other great work being tirelessly done across the paper — both related and completely unrelated to the war — that manages to challenge our readers and meet our standards.” It added.
The Channel 12 podcast interview with Schwartz, which The Intercept translated from Hebrew, opens a window into the reporting process on the controversial story and suggests that The New York Times’s mission was to bolster a predetermined narrative.
In a response to The Intercept’s questions about Schwartz’s podcast interview, a spokesperson for the New York Times walked back the blockbuster article’s framing that evidence shows Hamas had weaponized sexual violence to a softer claim that “there may have been systematic use of sexual assault.”
Times International editor Phil Pan said in a statement that he stands by the work. “Ms. Schwartz was part of a rigorous reporting and editing process,” he said. “She made valuable contributions and we saw no evidence of bias in her work. We remain confident in the accuracy of our reporting and stand by the team’s investigation. But as we have said, her ‘likes’ of offensive and opinionated social media posts, predating her work with us, are unacceptable.”
After this story was published, Schwartz, who did not respond to a request for comment, tweeted to thank the Times for “standing behind the important stories we have published.” She added, “The recent attacks against me will not deter me from continuing my work.” Addressing her social media activity, Schwartz said, “I understand why people who do not know me were offended by the inadvertent ‘like’ I pressed on 10/7 and I apologize for that.” At least three of her “likes” have been the subject of public scrutiny.
The “Screams Without Words” @nytimes article coauthored by Anat Schwartz about mass rape has been systematically debunked by many. How did Anat, who had no journalism experience, and her 24 yr old co-author Adam Sella (nephew by marriage) come to lead a front page investigation?
— Laila Al-Arian (@LailaAlarian) February 24, 2024
Another post liked by Anat Schwartz of @nytimes talks about establishing a narrative that “Hamas is ISIS” for purposes of scaring Westerners. Raises a lot of questions about her journalistic integrity and impartiality and it doesn’t surprise me that the story has so many holes. pic.twitter.com/yJMpMCVJkj
— Laila Al-Arian (@LailaAlarian) February 24, 2024
It is her nephew!
— Esha K (@eshaLegal) February 24, 2024
This is a post from her husband. pic.twitter.com/Sgtz4B6wlL
Now, Jeffrey Gettleman spent years in Africa and he was interviewed in 2018 by times of Israel. He spews run of the mill anti-islamic bigotry. https://t.co/zzYgwwfloq pic.twitter.com/Lqzyby4pFw
— Esha K (@eshaLegal) February 24, 2024
And his quality of reporting is actually much worse than these articles mentions...https://t.co/9gxyC5Aje5
— Esha K (@eshaLegal) February 24, 2024
He admitted to it. pic.twitter.com/zibbbEby31
— Esha K (@eshaLegal) February 24, 2024
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
