Sports Reporter Loses Job Over ‘Solidarity With Palestine’ Tweet

Muslim Matters

  • 12Oct
    2023

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Sports Reporter Loses Job Over ‘Solidarity With Palestine’ Tweet

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by Aysha Qamar

A sports reporter in Philadelphia lost his job after tweeting his “solidarity” with Palestine after Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Saturday.

Jackson Frank, a writer who covered the Philadelphia 76ers professional basketball team, is “no longer employed by PhillyVoice.com,” PhillyVoice.com chief executive Hal Donnelly confirmed to the New York Post on Monday.

Frank was terminated after he replied to a tweet by the 76ers saying he is in “solidarity with Palestine always.”

“This post sucks! Solidarity with Palestine always,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. He has since deleted his X account.

The 76ers tweeted: “We stand with the people of Israel and join them in mourning the hundreds of innocent lives lost to terrorism at the hands of Hamas,” alongside the hashtag #StandWithIsrael.

The tweet followed attacks near the Gaza Strip during which hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian civilians died,  first by Hamas militants and then from retaliatory airstrikes from the Israeli military, The Guardian reported.

News outlets across the country are reporting on the brutal incident in Israel and lives lost calling it terrorism. Several of them have also been accused of bias after failing to acknowledge the violence the people of Gaza have faced for years but reporting about Israel.

Social media users who are pro-Palestine have called out these companies and organizations who are condemning the violence in Israel, but have failed to post or acknowledge what has been done by Israel to Palestinians.

Several of them have allegedly lost jobs for doing so.

In addition to Frank, other media professionals have lost contracts or had partnerships terminated for depicting their support for Palestine.

Playboy terminated a partnership with the Lebanese American social media influencer and former porn actor Mia Khalifa after what they called “disgusting and reprehensible comments”.

As of this report, war has broke out between Palestine and Israel, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “mighty vengeance” on Israel’s attackers.

According to The Independent, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the “complete siege” of Gaza, leaving the area cut off from electricity and removed from emergency aid, food, and fuel.

Per Israeli officials more than 900 people have so far been killed, Palestinian authorities documented at least 687 civilians dead in Gaza after retaliatory strikes by Israeli forces.

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