The New York Times has ignited a firestorm of controversy following the publication of a guest essay penned by Yahya R. Sarraj, the mayor of Gaza City.
The essay, which detailed the extensive damage inflicted upon civilian infrastructure and buildings, was published on Christmas Eve.
In his essay, Sarraj recounted the devastation that has befallen Gaza in the aftermath of a horrific incident on October 7, when Hamas terrorists abducted and killed civilians, including Israelis and Americans. "The unrelenting destruction of Gaza its iconic symbols, its beautiful seafront, its libraries and archives and whatever economic prosperity it had has broken my heart," Sarraj lamented.
The publication of the essay was met with swift backlash from human rights activists and media commentators. Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of the International Legal Forum, took to social media to voice his criticism. "Just [The Times] publishing an op-ed by Hamas appointed mayor of Gaza, Yahya Sarraj. I wonder, would NYT also publish an op-ed from Al-Qaeda justifying 9-11? Of course not, but there is no red line to this paper's Jew hatred," he wrote.
Joel Petlin, superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, echoed Ostrovsky's sentiments, highlighting that Sarraj was appointed by Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization. "He [Sarraj] was appointed to be the mayor of Gaza City by the same terrorist organization that perpetrated the rape, kidnapping, & murder of innocent Israeli civilians on October 7th," Petlin stated.
Adam Rubenstein, a writer for the Weekly Standard, also weighed in on the controversy, pointing out the omission of the hostage crisis in Sarraj's essay. He argued that Sarraj "[l]eaves out important 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 need to agree with Israel's aims, but you do need to engage with them. The word 'hostage' doesn't appear in the essay."
In his essay, Sarraj cited the Gaza Health Ministry, claiming that the Israeli invasion has resulted in "the deaths of more than 20,000 people." He also alleged that about half of the buildings in the territory have been destroyed or damaged. "The Israelis have also pulverized something else: Gaza Citys cultural riches and municipal institutions," Sarraj wrote.
The Times and other media outlets have been criticized for their reliance on information from the Gaza Health Ministry and other Palestinian organizations. In October, The New York Times acknowledged that "editors should have taken more care with the initial presentation" of a report on an explosion at a Gaza hospital, admitting that the paper "relied too heavily on claims by Hamas," including those from the Hamas-backed Gaza Health Ministry.
Sarraj continued to lay the blame for the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza City at Israel's feet. He questioned the motives behind the destruction, asking, "Why did the Israeli tanks destroy so many trees, electricity poles, cars and water mains? Why would Israel hit a U.N. school? The obliteration of our way of life in Gaza is indescribable. I still feel I am in a nightmare because I cant imagine how any sane person could engage in such a horrific campaign of destruction and death."
Sarraj also detailed the destruction of the Gaza Zoo and other cultural landmarks, including the citys main public library, the Childrens Happiness Center, the municipal building and its archive, and the seventh-century Great Omari Mosque.
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