The Washington Post came under fire after it scolded the parents of an American hostage in Gaza for not publicly criticizing Israel’s “assault” there and admitted Friday that its social media post was “unacceptable.”
“Omer Neutra has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. When his parents speak publicly, they don’t talk about Israel’s assault on Gaza that has killed over 38,000 Palestinians, according to local officials. Experts have warned of looming famine,” the Post wrote on X.
The post linked to an interview the paper conducted with Omer’s parents, Orna and Ronen Neutra, ahead of their speech on day three of the Republican National Convention.
The Post’s social media post attracted fierce criticism before the paper took it down hours later.
In another X post published Friday morning, the paper explained that it deleted the initial post because it had “mischaracterized the efforts of Neutra’s parents.” The paper followed up hours later with a more thorough explanation.
“A previous post referencing the below story was unacceptable and did not meet our editorial standards, and The Post has deleted it. The reporter of the story was not involved in crafting the tweet. We have taken the appropriate action regarding this incident,” The Post wrote on X.
Omer, 22, grew up in Long Island, New York, and was a dual American-Israeli citizen serving in the Israel Defense Forces. He is believed to have been abducted by Hamas on October 7 during its horrific terrorist attack.
Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of U.S.-Israeli citizen Omer Neutra, held hostage in Gaza since October 7, speak during Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 17, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
A new version of the original post now reads, “Omer Neutra, an American hostage in the Israel-Hamas war, has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. His parents have mounted a relentless effort to get him released, speaking to anyone who might be able to support their cause.”
While the social media post was taken down, a similar paragraph remains in the body of the full story posted on the Post’s website.
“When the Neutras speak publicly, they don’t talk about the ferocity of Israel’s counterattack, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians and left nearly 90,000 injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Swaths of the territory have been pulverized and international experts have warned of looming famine,” the article reads.
Immediately after this graph, the Post quotes the Neutras expressing empathy for Gazans.
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Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of American hostage Omer Neutra, hold signs of their son during a press conference by families of American hostages in Gaza and elected officials, Friday, April. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
“What’s happening in Gaza is ‘horrible,’ Orna said, but Hamas could end it by releasing the hostages. Ronen echoed that sentiment: Hamas is ‘not only holding hostage our son, they’re also holding hostage the people of Gaza,’” the story continues.
The Post referred Fox News Digital to its statements on X when reached for comment.
The paper has come under fire from Jewish groups for its reporting on the war in Gaza since the Hamas terror attack last October.
An antisemitism nonprofit accused the paper of “aligning” itself with pro-terrorist groups since the October 7 attacks after publishing a sympathetic story in April about individuals who’d lost their jobs for defending Hamas.