DayofPal– The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker peace advocacy group, announced on Monday that it had canceled a planned advertisement in The New York Times after the newspaper refused to allow the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, according to the Guardian.
The AFSC revealed that a New York Times advertising representative suggested replacing the term “genocide” with “war” as a step to avoid accusing Israeli of committing genocidal acts in Gaza.
When the AFSC declined to do so, the NYT newspaper responded by emphasizing the need for factual accuracy and adherence to widely accepted legal definitions.
The AFSC justified its use of ‘Genocide’ that it cited groups such as the Center for Constitutional Rights, the University Network for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations that agree on the term.
In a press release, Joyce Ajlouny, the AFSC’s general secretary, criticized the NYT decision to drop the advertisement, saying “The refusal of The New York Times to run paid digital ads that call for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza is an outrageous attempt to sidestep the truth.”
“Palestinians and allies have been silenced and marginalized in the media for decades as these institutions choose silence over accountability. It is only by challenging this reality that we can hope to forge a path toward a more just and equitable world.”
A spokesperson for the New York Times said in response to questions from the Guardian that “New York Times Advertising works with parties submitting proposed ads to ensure they are in compliance with our acceptability guidelines. This instance was no different, and is entirely in line with the standards we apply to all ad submissions.”
The AFSC has been supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza and lobbying in the US for a “permanent cease-fire, full humanitarian access, release of all who are held captive, and an end to US military funding for Israel”.
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