Staff Reports
NBC News has severed ties with freelance reporter Mirvat al-Azzeh after she was arrested by Israeli authorities for charges related to inciting terrorism and showing support for a terrorist organization. The network claims they were not aware of her social media activity prior to hiring her. A source at NBC confirmed that they reviewed her work, but found nothing of concern.
NBC Kicks Journalist to the Curb After She's Arrested via @WestJournalism https://t.co/eSYkTenRZj
— Angry One (@1angrymofo) November 22, 2023
According to reports, Azzeh was taken into custody after turning herself in. She had been wanted for questioning for posting pro-Hamas content on her Facebook page. Israeli newspaper Haaretz described her as a Palestinian residing in East Jerusalem and reported that she had praised Hamas while Israeli civilians were being killed.
In one post, Azzeh allegedly referred to the kidnapping of an elderly woman, stating, “It’s killing me, it’s a black comedy, the old woman looks happy, a bit of action before she dies.” Other posts portrayed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas as a film, with the director being Palestinian and the protagonists being from Gaza.
Police confirmed that Azzeh cooperated with them and even arrived prepared for arrest. She reportedly admitted to authoring the controversial Facebook posts. A spokesperson for the Jerusalem police called the offenses “very serious” and stated that Azzeh chose to incite and glorify acts committed against civilians. Azzeh’s attorney argued for her release but was denied, and she will remain in custody for at least four more days.
It’s quite alarming to think that someone who supports a terrorist organization was working for a major news outlet like NBC. It raises serious questions about their vetting process and the diligence of their background checks. It’s a sad reality that biased and dangerous voices can infiltrate even the most trusted news organizations.
