Washington Post deletes tweet about how hostage’s parents don’t talk about Gaza
The newspaper called the tweet “unacceptable” but some say the story it linked to was also problematic
Orna and Ronen Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra, who was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, address the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Photo by Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images
By Lauren Markoe July 19, 2024
The Washington Post deleted a tweet Friday that many derided as insulting to the parents of Omer Neutra, an Israeli American held hostage in Gaza.
The Post called the tweet “unacceptable” and said it “did not meet our editorial standards,” in a tweet posted later that day.
The deleted tweet, which garnered more than 32,000 views, linked to a story about how tirelessly Neutra’s parents have worked to free him, including speaking before the Republican National Convention on Wednesday. It offended many because it referred to Neutra as “missing” as opposed to a hostage, and said his parents don’t speak publicly “about Israel’s assault on Gaza that has killed over 38,000 Palestinians.” The tweet, on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, also noted that “experts have warned of looming famine” in Gaza.
“Shame on @WashingtonPost for calling the Neutra’s morality into question,” tweeted the American Jewish Committee in response.
“That the Washington Post would shame the parents of Omer Neutra for keeping their focus on the captivity of their son is beneath contempt,” tweeted Rep. Ritchie Torres, a staunchly pro-Israel New York Democrat. “There is a taboo against any acknowledgment of Israeli victimhood because the Narrative, as opposed to the Truth, demands that Israel be seen only as the villain.”
An apology?
Many on Twitter called for the Post to apologize to the Orna and Ronen Neutra.
“Wapo owes the Neutra family an apology – after they fire everyone involved in writing & editing it,” tweeted Joel M. Petlin, the school superintendent of Kiryas Joel, New York.
The Post, explaining the deletion in a tweet, said the author of its story about the Neutras was not the author of the deleted tweet, and that “appropriate action” had been taken regarding its posting.
The newspaper did not immediately respond to questions about the deleted tweet’s author, the consequences for posting it and whether the Post had apologized. A call to Orna Neutra was not immediately returned.
Others upset by the deleted tweet, including Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, said the story on the Neutras it promoted was also problematic for this paragraph, parts of which had been repeated in the deleted tweet: “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.”
But unlike the deleted tweet, the story, which follows the Neutras through a draining day of speaking engagements, culminating in their primetime address to the convention, includes considerable context, including paragraphs in which the Neutras do address suffering in Gaza.
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 Post replaced its deleted tweet with another to promote the story. It 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.”
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
