The New York Times has been criticized for publishing an article that claimed Hezbollah terrorist chief Hassan Nasrallah was a “gifted orator” who wanted “equality” for all religions.
The article, titled ‘Protesters mourn Nasrallah’s death around the world‘, was uploaded to the website on Saturday and quickly began receiving an avalanche of backlash, criticism and ridicule on social media.
The short article praised the Hezbollah terrorist chief, who the NYT said was a “powerful speaker” and “beloved among many Shiite Muslims,” in part for providing “social services” in Lebanon.
It also stated that Nasrallah “maintained that there should be a Palestine with equality for Muslims, Jews and Christians.”
But the terrorist leader notoriously believed in the destruction of the Jewish state, and his Iran-backed militant organization carried out several deadly attacks against Jews around the world.
The New York Times has been criticized for calling Hezbollah terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah a “gifted orator” who was “beloved” by his fellow Shiite Muslims.
Nasrallah, 64, was killed in a major aerial bombardment by Israeli forces in Beirut on Friday.
A protester holds a photograph of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during an anti-Israel protest in Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, on September 28, 2024.
Although he often claimed to be anti-Zionist and not anti-Semitic, Nasrallah was quoted in a Times article from May last year as saying chillingly: “If all the Jews gather in Israel, we will save ourselves the trouble of persecuting them around the world.”
Nasrallah, 64, was killed in a major aerial bombardment by Israeli forces in Beirut on Friday, in an incident that sent enormous, almost unthinkable shock around the world.
“Times readers are now reduced to liberal elites, politicians, communists and Islamists,” wrote one X user in response to a post highlighting parts of the article viewed nearly 250,000 times.
‘This is so embarrassing. How can anyone continue to take the NYT seriously? another user asked.
Another accused the Gray Lady of “explaining jihad” and “trying to turn explicit calls for genocide into something positive.”
Three senior Israeli defense officials told the NYT on Saturday that more than 80 bombs were dropped within several minutes to kill Nasrallah after Israeli leaders had been tracking his location for months.
The sources, who remained anonymous, added that the operation had been planned earlier in the week before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left to speak at the United Nations General Assembly.
By confirming Nasrallah’s death on Saturday, Hezbollah pledged to continue its fight against Israel.
They said: ‘Hezbollah’s leadership is committed… to continuing its jihad to confront the enemy, support Gaza and Palestine, and defend Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.’
Flames grow after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on Saturday.
Hezbollah supporters attend a televised speech by the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on January 3, 2023.
Hassan Nasrallah spoke to the world in front of a red screen last Thursday, insisting that the deadly attacks “deserve a response” before launching volleys of rockets toward Israel.
Nasrallah had been in power within Hezbollah since February 1992, overseeing the group in its transition from a militant group forged in the 1982 Lebanon War, in the context of the broader Lebanese Civil War, to a political party and a regional power.
His death is seen as a major blow to the Iran-backed group, which could destabilize Lebanon as a whole.
A triumphant IDF spokesman said at the time of his death: “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.”
Under the leadership of the 64-year-old Shiite cleric, Hezbollah has waged wars against Israel and participated in the conflict in neighboring Syria, helping to tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assad.
Ali Karki, commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, and other Hezbollah commanders were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said.
This comes as the IDF posted a graphic on social media showing top Hezbollah figures who had so far been “eliminated”, adding that they had “dismantled” the group.
More than 20 Hezbollah members were also killed along with their leader Nasrallah in Friday’s airstrike, Israel said.
Among those “eliminated” were the head of Nasrallah’s security unit, Ibrahim Hussein Jazini, and Samir Tawfiq Dib, whom the IDF described as “Nasrallah’s long-time confidant and advisor.”
Israel published a graphic showing senior Hezbollah officials who had so far been “eliminated”, adding that they had “dismantled” the group.
A Lebanese man shows a poster of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, which he found in the rubble of his house in July 2006.
“Due to their proximity to him, they played an important role in the daily operations of Hezbollah and Nasrallah in particular,” the IDF said.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that contact with Nasrallah had been lost since Friday night.
He was rumored to have been killed during Israel’s last war against Hezbollah in 2006, the source said, adding that he later resurfaced unharmed.
A military statement said the strikes also killed Ali Karake, whom the statement identified as commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, and an unspecified number of other Hezbollah commanders.
“During Hassan Nasrallah’s 32-year reign as Secretary General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and for the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities,” the statement said.
‘He was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks around the world in which civilians of various nationalities were murdered. Nasrallah was the central decision-maker and strategic leader of the organization.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Israel’s airstrikes had “eliminated” Hezbollah’s command structure, but warned that the group would work quickly to rebuild it.
“I think people are safer without him walking around,” Kirby said of Nasrallah during an appearance today on CNN.
But they will try to recover. We are watching what they do to try to fill this leadership void. It’s going to be hard. “Much of their command structure has been wiped out.”