New York Times causes uproar for publishing op-ed by Gaza City mayor: 'Hamas-appointed mayor'

 The mayor of Gaza City, Yahya R., on the damage caused to buildings and civilian infrastructure. The New York Times caused an online uproar after it published a guest essay by Sarraj.

A guest essay released on Christmas Eve listed examples of the destruction in Gaza following the killing and abduction of Israeli, American and other civilians by Hamas militants on October 7.

Sarraj wrote, "The incredible destruction of Gaza – its iconic symbols, its beautiful beaches, its libraries and archives and whatever economic prosperity it once had – has broken my heart."

The guest essay immediately attracted online criticism from human rights activists and media commentators.

“Oh, nothing to see here,” Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of the International Legal Forum, wrote in a post on Monday. "Just [the Times] publishing an op-ed by Hamas-appointed Gaza mayor Yahya Sarraj. I wonder, will the NYT also publish an op-ed from al-Qaeda justifying 9-11? Absolutely. No, but there is no red line in this newspaper on Jew hatred."

Kiryas Joel School District Superintendent Joel Petlin argued that the guest essayist was appointed as mayor by Hamas, a terrorist organization.

"He [Sarraj] was appointed mayor of Gaza City by the same terrorist organization that carried out the rape, kidnapping and murder of innocent Israeli civilians on October 7," Petlin wrote. "I'm surprised the NY Times only gave him an OpEd column and didn't offer him a full-time position."

Weekly Standard writer Adam Rubenstein also drew attention to the hostage crisis in a post over Christmas, arguing that Sarraj "[l]iscovers the crucial context for Israel's campaign in Gaza: the hostages. Instead, It claims that no 'sane person' could do what Israel is doing. You certainly don't have to agree with Israel's objectives, but you do need to engage with them. The word 'hostage' Doesn't come in the essay."

The guest essay immediately attracted online criticism from human rights activists and media commentators.

“Oh, nothing to see here,” Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of the International Legal Forum, wrote in a post on Monday. "Just [the Times] publishing an op-ed by Hamas-appointed Gaza mayor Yahya Sarraj. I wonder, will the NYT also publish an op-ed from al-Qaeda justifying 9-11? Absolutely. No, but there is no red line in this newspaper on Jew hatred."

Kiryas Joel School District Superintendent Joel Petlin argued that the guest essayist was appointed as mayor by Hamas, a terrorist organization.

"He [Sarraj] was appointed mayor of Gaza City by the same terrorist organization that carried out the rape, kidnapping and murder of innocent Israeli civilians on October 7," Petlin wrote. "I'm surprised the NY Times only gave him an OpEd column and didn't offer him a full-time position."

Weekly Standard writer Adam Rubenstein also drew attention to the hostage crisis in a post over Christmas, arguing that Sarraj "[l]iscovers the crucial context for Israel's campaign in Gaza: the hostages. Instead, It claims that no 'sane person' could do what Israel is doing. You certainly don't have to agree with Israel's objectives, but you do need to engage with them. The word 'hostage' Doesn't come in the essay."

Sarraj claimed that the Israeli offensive had caused "more than 20,000 deaths," a figure he obtained from the Gaza Health Ministry.

"According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli offensive has caused the deaths of more than 20,000 people and nearly half of the buildings in the area were destroyed or damaged," Sarraj wrote. "The Israelis have also destroyed something else: Gaza City's cultural property and municipal institutions."

The Times and other media organizations have received criticism for using information from the Gaza Health Ministry and other Palestinian organizations. The New York Times acknowledged in October that "editors should have been more careful in their initial presentation" of last week's Gaza hospital explosion because the newspaper had "relied too heavily on Hamas's claims", including Hamas's . - Gaza Health Ministry supported.

Sarraj blamed Israel for the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza City.

"Why did Israeli tanks destroy so many trees, power poles, cars and water mains?". He has written. "Why would Israel attack a UN school? The destruction of our way of life in Gaza is indescribable. I still feel like I'm in a nightmare because I can't imagine that any sane person would tolerate so much destruction and death." How can one be involved in a terrible campaign."

"The Gaza Zoo has been destroyed, with many of its animals killed or starved to death, including wolves, hyenas, birds and rare foxes," the mayor said. Other casualties included the city's main public library, the Children's Happiness Centre. the municipal building and its archive, and the seventh-century Great Omari Mosque. Israeli forces also damaged or destroyed streets, squares, mosques, churches, and parks."