The main reporter covering the war in Gaza for the Associated Press has called publicly for the annihilation of Israel and a “Palestinian revolt” and compared Israel to the Nazis, HonestReporting revealed Wednesday in an investigation of his social media accounts.
The social media history and pro-Palestinian activism of Issam Adwan, who joined the wire service in August after working for Al Jazeera English and anti-Israeli non-governmental organizations, reveals some disturbing and antisemitic content, demonstrating that he cannot be relied upon for objective coverage of the conflict.
In a post on X/Twitter from October 13, 2022, Adwan wrote that “the Palestinian revolt against the Israeli oppression will be a triumph” and that “every colonial system will be overthrown”:
Adwan also openly compared Israel to the Nazis:
This disturbing comparison is explicitly defined as antisemitic according to the internationally recognized IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) working definition of antisemitism.
Adwan made this comparison as a repost supporting none other than Hosam Salem – a former New York Times photographer who was fired after HonestReporting exposed him glorifying a gruesome Palestinian terror attack and calling to “Smite the Necks of Unbelievers.”
Adwan’s repost effectively dismissed the complaints against his fellow “journalist” as “hypocrisy and nonsense.” What does this show about Adwan’s ability to uphold basic journalistic standards, let alone human ethics?
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And there’s more.
Adwan retweeted this post from the BDS movement accusing Israel of the despicable antisemitic trope of “poisoning wells” in 1948, a lie which goes back to medieval blood libels against the Jews:
Adwan also labeled Israel as a “colonialist” and “apartheid” state:
In the following post, also on X/Twitter, Adwan refers to “The resistance parties and movements,” in a reply to a post concerning Islamic Jihad. Such language is commonly used to sanitize terrorist organizations.
Adwan likely knows all about the IHRA definition of antisemitism judging by his reposting of Muhammad Shehada, a public critic of the definition. Behind Shehada’s superficial lip service to coexistence and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, lies a thinly veiled anti-Israel agenda that, through lies and deceit, seeks to normalize Hamas terrorism against innocent civilians. (More on Shehada here.)
Adwan, the so-called “journalist”, was a vocal pro-Palestinian activist, as seen in this video posted by American Muslims for Palestine. He also worked in the past for two anti-Israeli NGOs: “We Are Not Numbers” and “The Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.” According to NGO Monitor, while working for the former as the organization’s Gaza project manager, Adwan excused Hamas terror and accused Israel of war crimes, apartheid and ethnic cleansing:
During his job as an activist, in 2019, Adwan hosted an hour-long Facebook Live, during which he spread false and virulent anti-Israeli propaganda.
Highlights of the broadcast include him implicitly calling for the annihilation of Israel:
He also accused Israel of faking as a “car accident” the brutal 2014 kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens by Hamas, which led to a seven-week war between Israel and the terrorist group that controls Gaza:
Are these the public posts and activities of someone who can be trusted to file reports from Gaza for AP without bias?
Adwan’s pieces on the recent crisis – like this one in which the Hamas massacre of innocent Israeli men, women and children is not even mentioned – prove that the answer to the above question should be a resounding no.
HonestReporting has filed an official complaint to AP, which should run better background checks next time it hires a correspondent to cover one of the world’s most sensitive conflicts.
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