The New York Times is facing criticism after it published an opinion piece by the mayor of Gaza City that details what it’s like in the ruins.
The op-ed, headlined “I am Gaza City’s Mayor. Our Lives and Culture Are in Rubble,” was written by Yahya Sarraj. The Sunday piece describes the destruction in Gaza and how the Israelis have “pulverized” the city’s “cultural riches and municipal institutions.”
He wrote, “The unrelenting destruction of Gaza — its iconic symbols, its beautiful seafront, its libraries and archives and whatever economic prosperity it had — has broken my heart.”
He also criticized Israel for killing more than 20,000 people. The destruction was in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 raid that massacred Israelis.
“Why did the Israeli tanks destroy so many trees, electricity poles, cars and water mains? Why would Israel hit a U.N. school? The obliteration of our way of life in Gaza is indescribable. I still feel I am in a nightmare because I can’t imagine how any sane person could engage in such a horrific campaign of destruction and death,” he wrote.
The Times’ decision to publish the piece by Mr. Sarraj — who was appointed mayor in 2019 by Hamas — got attention on social media.
“Oh, nothing to see here. Just @nytimes publishing an op-ed by Hamas appointed mayor of Gaza, Yahya Sarraj,” Arsen Ostrovsky, an international human rights lawyer who identifies himself as a Zionist, wrote on X. “I wonder, would NYT also publish an op-ed from al-Qaida justifying 9-11? Of course not, but there is no red line to this paper’s Jew hatred.”
Chaya Raichik, a contributor at Turning Point USA and creator of the TikTok account @libsoftiktok, slammed The Times for posting the opinion piece.
“Remember when the journalists lost their minds and a chief editor had to resign because they ran an op-ed by a sitting U.S. senator? Well, now The New York Times is running opinion pieces written by Hamas. Are their journalists outraged? NYT showing their true colors,” she wrote.
Ms. Raichik was referring to opinion editor James Bennet resigning in the summer of 2020 after publishing a piece by Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas that called for the use of military force against violent Black Lives Matter protesters. The op-ed created an uproar among Times employees.
The Washington Times has reached out to The New York Times for comment.
