“Palestine correspondent” for the Nation, and one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People,” Mohammed el-Kurd sent shock waves through Twitter with his recent rant glamorizing the Second Intifada, a five-year-long campaign of violence in which terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad slaughtered more than 1,000 Israeli civilians.
To el-Kurd, the bloodshed was commendable because it “forced Zionists to live fearfully, giving them a dose of their own poison.” He brags, “Allegedly, an estimate of 300k settlers left back to where … they came from during that period,” as if ethnic cleansing of “settlers” is something to be cheered.
But it’s hardly the first time el-Kurd has gone off the rails. On Aug. 10, he tweeted, “Decolonization means, among other things, removing colonizers,” which, of course, means removing Jews from their ancestral homeland. During an interview with MSNBC, the young activist insisted that “all Israelis are the same. They’re all terrorists.”
In May, while tensions in Jerusalem over the Sheikh Jarrah debacle ballooned, el-Kurd once again took to Twitter to fearmonger about “Israeli Jews” invading al-Aqsa, mimicking a nearly century-old libel that has led to the murder of scores of Jews. The tweet was accompanied by a video of Jews praying along the Western Wall, a precious site to Jewish people in Israel and around the world.
El-Kurd’s brazen contempt for human life is chilling, even more so when considering that the Nation offered him a position as “Palestine correspondent.” Not only that, he and his sister Muna were recently featured in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2021, painted as activists who merely “[challenge] existing narratives” and “[humanize] the experiences of their neighbors.”
Both outlets chose to feature el-Kurd’s work either despite or because of his antisemitic rhetoric. Either is frightening and appalling.
There are three issues with the mainstreaming of el-Kurd and his bigoted rhetoric. First, presenting his rhetoric as representative of Palestinian voices is anti-Palestinian in and of itself. Normalizing and elevating a Palestinian voice that has, on multiple occasions, advocated for ethnic cleansing and terrorism while ignoring or downplaying those who denounce rejectionism and urge reconciliation with Israel, stigmatizes Palestinians, painting them as barbarians hungry for blood, not peace and prosperity. When outlets lend their platforms to el-Kurd, they are simply giving increased attention to those who seek to perpetuate violence and suffering.
Second, el-Kurd’s rhetoric dehumanizes Israelis and Palestinians alike. Following his celebration of the Second Intifada’s “martyrs,” it should be clear that el-Kurd views his own people as pawns who should willingly sacrifice their lives and those of their loved ones to “decolonize,” a euphemism used by those trying to disguise their antisemitism and advocacy for ethnic cleansing as social justice. Both peoples deserve better.
Third, the seemingly widespread respect for el-Kurd in popular culture bolsters antisemitism around the world. The Nation may insist that his addition to its staff “lifts up marginalized voices” and champions “the Palestinian resistance,” but in reality, it legitimizes hatred that — even if not prolific within Palestinian society today — has existed in the Holy Land for nearly a century. The toxic idea that Jewish civilians are legitimate targets in the fight against Zionism found adherents as early as April 1920. As the words and deeds of Hamas (the terrorist organization that rules the Gaza Strip) lay bare, such an outlook engenders devastation even today.
That prominent media outlets would lionize el-Kurd’s “activism” indicates a pathological undercurrent of antisemitism in the wider culture. Today, this age-old hatred frequently manifests as hatred of the Jewish state. During the recent war between Israel and Hamas, antisemitism surged; analyses showed similar trends during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
There is a clear correlation between violent flare-ups in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and increases in antisemitism around the world. Why? Because hatred of the Jewish state and the Jews who support its right to defend itself from terrorism is framed as part of the international struggle for justice. Consequently, the world’s oldest hatred is given a veneer of respectability. In el-Kurd’s case, it presents an opportunity for professional advancement and fame.
It’s high time for the media to undertake serious self-reflection. Ethical journalism, among other factors, must include a commitment to inviting commentators and analysts who use their experiences and knowledge to engage in discourse, not those who vehemently call for violence against a particular ethnic or religious group.
Jonathan Michanie is a second-year Ph.D. student at Northeastern University. Zac Schildcrout is master’s student at Johns Hopkins’s School of Advanced International Studies.
