The New York Times defended its decision to rehire a pro-Hitler journalist from Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s savage attack on Israel on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war.
The media outlet let go of freelance videographer Soliman Hijjy last year after a pro-Israel media watchdog uncovered a series of social-media posts showing Hijjy touting Adolf Hitler’s antisemitic views. The Times is now standing by the journalist.
“We reviewed problematic social media posts by Mr. Hijjy when they first came to light in 2022 and took a variety of actions to ensure he understood our concerns and could adhere to our standards if he wished to do freelance work for us in the future,” a New York Times representative told Fox News after the news broke this week. “Mr. Hijjy followed those steps and has maintained high journalistic standards. He has delivered important and impartial work at great personal risk in Gaza during this conflict.”
Hijjy has contributed to eight articles for the newspaper since October 12, five days after Hamas terrorists led a surprise attack on Israeli civilians, killing 1,300 and perpetrating rape, torture, and kidnappings.
In August 2022, HonestReporting, a website that monitors the media for bias against Israel, published a story about pro-Palestinian journalists who were covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from an antisemitic perspective. At the time, several mainstream outlets cut ties with the journalists in question, including Hijjy, as a result of the report.
In 2012, Hijjy posted words of praise about the Nazi leader on Facebook alongside a meme saying, “How great you are, Hitler.”
OUTRAGE: @nytimes has rehired Gazan freelance filmmaker Soliman Hijjy (also spelled Sulaiman Hejji) who praised Adolf Hitler on social media and later posted he was “in a state of harmony as Hitler was during the Holocaust.” pic.twitter.com/V0UmjQrmyX
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) October 20, 2023
In 2018, Hijjy again took to the social-media platform to post a photo of himself in the Middle East with the caption: “In a state of harmony as Hitler was during the Holocaust.” That same year, he also said he was “in tune like Hitler during the Holocaust.”
Jewish newspaper the Algemeiner first reported the news on Thursday that Hijjy had returned to work for the New York Times, according to HonestReporting, and the re-hiring has since gained the attention of outlets such as the New York Post.
The news also sparked backlash from Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, who claimed that the New York Times is actively spreading anti-Jewish propaganda.
“The @nytimes has just rehired a NAZI. Let that sink in. Soliman Hijjy praises Hitler, and the NYT rehired him,” Erdan posted Friday on X. “We all saw how the NYT immediately parroted Hamas’ lies regarding the al-Ahli hospital (which Hijjy contributed to) and still refuses to retract these fabrications.”
“Spreading Hamas propaganda and rehiring a Holocaust-praising terror supporter, actively stokes antisemitism,” the Israeli diplomat added. “Every Jew must understand that not reading or advertising in Hamas mouthpieces is an integral part of our right to self-defense. And we must defend ourselves.”