If the Biden administration’s speech is decisive and we side with Israel, the recent Hamas attack and the Israeli response will shock the United States.
Both on the political stage and in academia, some so-called progressive voices have been heard defending Palestine or pointing out that Israel has repeatedly broken the rules.
As the conflict is expected to drag on, it is possible that further tensions will manifest themselves among the American people.
Among the controversies that have remained somewhat under the radar, there is one that I would like to bring to your attention. According to various media outlets, all aligned with Semafor, the MSNBC channel has overhauled the on-air presence of its three Muslim hosts since the brutal Hamas attack.
Everyone is behind Israel
The MSNBC network is typically associated with progressives and the Democratic Party. However, there are dissenting voices within the left that are accused of a lack of solidarity with the Israeli people.
According to journalist Max Tani, the network made changes to avoid criticism and thus show unwavering solidarity.
At least that’s what this statement from an organizer of a staff meeting suggests: “[…] Claims of “freedom struggles,” rationalizations, in fact anything that doesn’t explicitly and clearly have to do with support during this difficult time; these do NOT belong here. » Basically there is no room for nuance, nothing other than the Israeli perspective.
In the face of Hamas’s cruel attack, I did not hesitate to refer to terrorism, but this condemnation was not accompanied by sudden amnesia or unconditional support for all future actions of the Israeli army.
While I believe I understand the anger and outrage, this conflict, which has spanned decades, should not be viewed in a Manichean manner.
A case of censorship
Like many other commentators and analysts, I am primarily on Israel’s side. However, in this matter, as in so many others, I do not believe that censorship is the way forward.
It is possible that a certain left will pay the electoral price for its criticism of Israel, but silencing them does not help the cause of the American media, which is already criticized for being too politicized.
MSNBC denies that it acted unfairly towards its three employees, but the fact remains that it is strange that two of them had their duties changed. The internal squabbles reported by Semafor indicate a “pre-emptive withdrawal”.
Fortunately, the excluded hosts had already had extensive discussions with Israeli officials. In all three cases, these are very well-informed presenters who are among the best at explaining the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
I find it unfortunate that a network sacrifices nuance and part of the truth in addition to the loss of life.
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