A Pulitzer Prize for Denial, Distortion and Desecration

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Writer and poet Mosab Abu Toha denied that Emily Damari was ever a hostage. He denied that the Bibas family, including baby Kfir and his brother Ariel, were murdered. These are not minor quibbles or political disagreements. These are documented atrocities arising from 7 October. And yet, this is the man the Pulitzer Board has chosen to honour with one of the world’s most prestigious journalism prizes, praising his commentary in The New Yorker.

Let that sink in. A man who spread falsehoods about some of the most horrific, well-documented crimes of our time has been rewarded by an institution that claims to stand for truth and human dignity. Abu Toha was not content with distortion. He poured scorn on the very idea of facts, writing “F*ck your language” when challenged about the reality of that terrible day. And now, by handing him a prize, the Pulitzer Board has echoed him. They might as well have said to the victims and survivors: F*ck your truth.

This is not journalism. This is complicity. And we cannot stand by in silence.

Emily Damari, a British-Israeli woman who spent 500 days in Hamas captivity, has spoken out with dignity and pain. She survived starvation, torture and degradation, only to come home and see a man who denied her very existence being handed a prize for “commentary”. Emily’s voice is not political. It is human. She has reminded us all that denying victims is the oldest and ugliest tactic of all.

I believe we can and must expect someone who writes for The New Yorker to meet a basic standard of accuracy, if not objectivity. Abu Toha has crossed that line, again and again. Aside from his offensive comments about Emily Damari, his wider pattern of denial is clear. He excused the abduction of Israelis by Hamas and referred to the kidnapping of children as the “arrest of Zionist settlers”. You can see a selection of his statements at Honest Reporting.

He has made antisemitic and anti-Zionist statements, yet he has been decorated with a Pulitzer. It begs the question: if this is now considered worthy of recognition, what next? A lifetime achievement award for David Irving? A posthumous prize for Mein Kampf?

I doubt the Pulitzer Board will reverse their decision. They have shown their hand, and we all see who they are now. But Abu Toha’s words reflect something deeper and more dangerous. This is not just about hostility towards Israel. It is about a deeper antipathy towards the values we all claim to share.

After 7 October, it was clear that the hatred directed at Israel and Jews was not some isolated phenomenon. It speaks to a threat that could face anyone who believes in truth, human rights and the dignity of victims.

So while I understand that free speech matters, I do not believe lies, atrocity denial and the glorification of terror deserve prestigious awards. People can and should register their disgust. As for me, I will never again take notice of the Pulitzer Prize. They have joined the long and growing list of self-hating ideologues who have abandoned the democratic values they claim to uphold.

I realise not everyone will agree with my view. I remember past debates, like the one over Bob Moran’s cartoon, where I argued that his use of the word ‘Kosher’ in cartoon depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eating a baby and drinking blood crossed a line into something indistinguishable from classic Nazi propaganda.

This, too, is a line crossed.

I support the voices of other who believe that this deserves strong and unequivocal pushback. I stand with Emily Damari. I stand with the Bibas family. I stand with all the hostages. And I call on the Pulitzer Board to rescind this shameful award.

If you want to write to the Pulitzer Board to express your view you can contact them at pulitzer@pulitzer.org.