UPDATE: NY Times Removes ‘Editing Error’ From Article After Sparking Fury on the Right With Line On Oct. 7th Victims

AP Photo/Kin Cheung

The New York Times sparked fury on the right this week after a line about Hamas’s devastating Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel went viral.

The controversy kicked off on Monday when the Times published a report titled, “After Accolades Abroad, an Israeli Documentary Faces a Backlash at Home.” Isabel Kershner wrote the report from Jerusalem and summed up Israeli sentiment toward the attacks:

Israelis are deeply divided over how to apportion blame for the policy, military and intelligence failures that preceded the attack and the war. But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7. The militants’ attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel, and about 250 more were taken hostage, according to the Israeli authorities. It was the deadliest day in the country’s history.

Eitan Fischberger, a freelance researcher and writer, pointed out the line, “But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7,” on social media and added, “What the f**k is this, @nytimes?”

The post quickly went viral, with other pundits and writers weighing in. The New York Times did not immediately reply to Mediaite’s request for comment.

UPDATE: The Times PR department later released a statement, which noted the line had been an “editing error” and that it has been removed:

We have added the following Editors’ Note to our recent coverage of the Israeli government’s reaction to the NAZA documentary: “Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article included a statement that was intended to convey Israelis’ perception of the government’s military response to the Oct. 7 terror attack in relation to the attacks, but inadvertently suggested that Israelis’ experience as terror victims was a matter of perception. It has been removed from the article.

CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings reacted to the original article, “No words for this abomination.”

Fox News’s chief political analyst Brtt Hume added, “Good question.”

Below are some additional reactions:

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