#al-hadaf

[hyperions-fate]

Cover of Palestinian magazine Al-Hadaf

Vol. 11, No. 494: 28th June 1980

[eretzyisrael]

Terror group mouthpiece deletes article about affiliated journalist nominated for Emmy

Emmy rejects the plight of 150 industry professionals to cancel the nomination of Bisan Owda, identified by the PFLP as a member of the terr

by Ohad Merlin

Al-Hadaf, a Gaza-based outlet established by and serving as a mouthpiece for the terror-designated Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), deleted an article devoted to Bisan Owda, titled “Journalism in the Crosshairs of Politics... how Bisan Owda became a symbol of resistance journalism.”

This happened only days after Owda was the subject of a letter signed by 150 film industry professionals which demanded the Emmy Awards cancel her nomination over her past ties to the PFLP, which is designated by the US, EU, Canada, Israel, and other countries as a terrorist organization.

In late July 2024, the Emmy Awards nominated Bisan Atef Owda, a Palestinian content creator from Gaza, along with the Qatari-owned media outlet AJ+, for their series, It’s Bisan From Gaza and I’m Still Alive. The nomination was included in the category for Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Short Form.

Following the nomination, it was discovered that Owda has portrayed herself as a member of the PFLP and has even spoken in PFLP events in the Gaza Strip in the past in full PFLP militant garb. Owda also oversaw celebrations. The article’s rapid takedown from the PFLP’s mouthpiece raised further concerns regarding Owda’s affiliation with the organization.

AJ+ (a subsidiary of Qatari mouthpiece Al Jazeera) has been ordered by the US Department of Justice to register as a foreign agent of the Qatari government under the United States Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) because the outlet is “controlled and funded by the Government of Qatar.” Yet the outlet has refused to do so, thereby openly violating United States law. At the same time, Al Jazeera has been a hotbed for antisemitism, holocaust denial, and circulating Hamas propaganda and talking points.

For these reasons, 150 industry professionals signed a letter addressed to the National Academy of Television Arts and Services (NATAS) calling on them to rescind Owda’s nomination, which they believe contradicts the Academy’s own codes of conduct. Despite this, NATAS has doubled down on maintaining Owda’s nomination, claiming that despite the fact that she took part in the terrorist organization in the past, there is no further evidence that she is still part of the group.