The Associated Press (AP) news agency found itself at the center of controversy after publishing a biographical article about slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that painted the terrorist group’s chief in an overly positive light.
The article initially bore the headline “Charismatic and shrewd: A look at longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.” This characterization drew immediate comparisons to The Washington Post’s controversial description of Islamic State terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an “austere religious scholar” following his death in 2019.
Following a swift backlash on social media, AP amended its headline to the more neutral “Who is longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah?”
Hillel Neuer, a human rights activist, sarcastically addressed the AP, saying, “I’m sorry for your loss,” before quoting phrases from the article that appeared to praise Nasrallah: “Charismatic and shrewd.... an astute strategist... considered a pragmatist... idolized by his Lebanese Shiite followers... respected by millions across the Arab and Islamic world…"
Neuer suggested the news agency should have spoken to Nasrallah’s victims instead.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) dismissed AP’s portrayal, stating, “Nasrallah was a ruthless, murderous terrorist.” Similarly, Rep Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) asserted, “Nasrallah is not a ‘charismatic leader.’ He is a bloodthirsty, antisemitic terrorist.”
The U.S. media company Daily Wire noted that AP’s article went through 12 paragraphs before mentioning the word “terrorist.” Instead, it referred to Nasrallah using terms such as “astute strategist,” “archenemy of Israel,” and “a fiery orator viewed as an extremist.”
This incident marks one of many in which renowned media outlets, such as AP, were scrutinized for their portrayal of Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza’s Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
A comprehensive study has revealed that the BBC‘s coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict was markedly biased against Israel, with the British broadcaster reportedly violating its own “editorial guidelines” more than 1,500 times.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
