In a controversial move, Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is set to receive an award from Hillary Clinton, despite having previously drawn criticism for equating Israel with Nazi Germany.
The award, named after Clinton, is scheduled to be presented at Georgetown University next Tuesday.
Ressa's contentious views came to light during a 2024 commencement speech at Harvard University, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon. The media publisher had been invited to address the graduating class when she made remarks that sparked outrage, particularly among her pro-Israel critics.
In an editorial published by Rappler, Ressa had drawn a parallel between Israel's conflict with Hamas and the Holocaust.
The editorial stated, "It is with great irony that the race that for centuries, suffered oppression, even genocide at the hands of Adolf Hitler, is the same race that is now depriving the Palestinians of this same dream." It further quoted sociologist Randy David, saying, "Yesterdays oppressed have become todays oppressors."
Following the Free Beacon's report on the editorial, Ressa and Rappler denied the allegations, accusing the Free Beacon of spreading "propaganda." Rappler's executive editor, Glenda M. Gloria, claimed to Time magazine that the Free Beacon had misrepresented the editorial and failed to provide an "accurate translation" from its original Tagalog.
However, a second translation commissioned by the Free Beacon from Anna Katarina Rodriguez, former executive director of the Commission on Filipino Language, confirmed the accuracy of the original.
During her Harvard address, Ressa lashed out at her critics, stating, "Because I accepted your invitation to be here today, I was attacked online and called anti-Semitic by money and power because they want money and power." This statement led to a university rabbi walking out of the commencement and the schools Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias condemning her remarks.
They noted that Ressa's comments "echo traditional conspiracy theories about Jews, money, and power" and served as an example of the "ease with which anti-Zionism slips into what is effectively antisemitism."
The task force further questioned, "Why did a renowned humanitarian ad-lib seemingly antisemitic remarks against her Jewish critics at a highly scripted Harvard graduation ceremony?" They suggested that visible political opposition to Israelis might make it easier for a speaker to slip into political opposition to Jews and make hostile remarks about the Jewish people.
The award ceremony at Georgetown University aims to "honor the courage, strength, and determination of women around the world who are standing up for democratic values and making their voices heard." The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, which selects the awardees, states that they are chosen for their "exceptional leadership in promoting womens rights and creating a more peaceful and secure world for all."
However, Georgetown University has previously been accused of fostering an atmosphere of anti-Semitism among students and staff. The House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing in July where members questioned Georgetowns interim president over a rise in anti-Semitism on campus. Neither Clinton nor the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security have responded to requests for comment on whether Ressa's words represent the values they seek to promote.
Harvard Chabad rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, who was present during Ressa's commencement address, told the Free Beacon that he had asked Ressa to clarify her remarks. However, he found her response unsatisfactory and walked off the stage.
He criticized Ressa's "classic anti-Semitic rhetoric" and her false inclusion of Gaza in her list of places where genocide is occurring. He also noted her silence on the "greatest massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust and the continued genocidal attempts on the Jewish people by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran."
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