Palestinian photojournalist Hosam Salem has been fired by the New York Times for expressing support for Palestinian Resistance against Israeli occupation.
Details of his dismissal were revealed by Salem himself in a statement posted on social media, a copy of which was sent to The Palestine Chronicle.
A Jewish reporter for NYT can have a child in Israeli army, but Palestinian photographer Hosam Salem can’t voice support for Palestinian resistance to occupation and keep getting work. https://t.co/rWKr4wkYUA
— Mondoweiss (@Mondoweiss) October 7, 2022
“After years of covering the Gaza Strip as a freelance photojournalist for the New York Times, I was informed via an abrupt phone call from the US outlet that they will no longer work with me in the future,” Salem wrote.
New York Times sacks Gaza journalist Hosam Salem for expressing support for Palestinian resistance #Palestine https://t.co/bGiaWvBTxK
— Rick ? (@izanalaezizan1) October 7, 2022
The Gaza- based journalist, who has been working as a freelancer for the American outlet since 2018, was dismissed after a dossier compiled by a pro-Israel group, accusing Salem of antisemitism, was presented to the NYT.
@nytimes "Hosam Salem is a Palestinian photographer who has been freelancing for the New York Times since 2018. This week he was abruptly terminated by the paper, after a pro-Israel website sent Salem’s editors at the Times links to Facebook posts where Salem
— DaeguDave (@DaeguDave) October 7, 2022
“As I understood later,” he said, “the decision was made based on a report prepared by a Dutch editor – who obtained Israeli citizenship two years ago – for a website called Honest Reporting.”
El fotoperiodista palestino Hosam Salem despedido por el New York Times por su apoyo a la resistencia palestina y denuncia de los crímenes de “Israel” – Sitio de Al Manar en Español https://t.co/Vg1QDGZy9J vía @almanarnews
— Jorge Cura Amar (@jorgecura1070) October 8, 2022
Salem added that “not only has Honest Reporting succeeded in terminating my contract with The New York Times, it has also actively discouraged other international news agencies from collaborating with me and my two colleagues.”
“What is taking place,” Salem concluded, “s a continuous and systematic effort to distort the image of Palestinian journalists as being incapable of trustworthiness and integrity, simply because we cover the human rights violations that the Palestinian people undergo on a daily basis at the hands of the Israeli army.”
