Jewish Guardian Staffer Blasts Paper’s Coverage in Anonymous Op-Ed: ‘I Don’t Feel Safe At Work’

Guardian Head Office (John Stillwell/PA Wire)

A Jewish employee at the Guardian published an anonymous opinion editorial for Jewish News on Wednesday raising concerns about their safety and explaining how they are searching for a new job in part due to the paper’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

The writer outlined how, following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, they lost contact with their partner’s family residing in a kibbutz infiltrated by Hamas. Hours later, the family was found safe, but their house was destroyed, and their neighbours were killed.

As the staffer described the anxiety and fear they experienced as the attack unfolded, they explained how that distress was compounded by what they perceived as an insensitive portrayal of the events by the Guardian.

They claimed that Israelis were described as having “died,” whereas Palestinians were “killed,” presenting an implicit bias in the paper’s reportage.

The writer went on to recount their attempt to communicate their anguish to the newspaper’s editors. While senior editors offered sympathies, they firmly stood by the publication’s reporting.

While shaken with the trauma of the situation, the writer lamented the apparent callous response of colleagues, with one pointing to a picture of a burning Israeli flag in the newspaper and commenting: “This is my favourite picture.” In other interactions they said they were challenged on their politics, including being asked if they support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The writer said: “The newspaper I work for is covering the bombardment of Gaza and I watch in horror. I think that Israel must defend itself. Yet when I say this, people will tell me I am justifying the murder of children. They will tell me it is a genocide.”

Concluding the article, they wrote: “Intergenerational trauma has been retriggered but now is not the time to dwell on our historical violent oppression. Now is the time to rise up, speak out and defend our right to exist. Now is not the time for colleagues to dismiss Jewish pain or publish inflammatory op-eds which will spark more violence. I will keep applying for other jobs.”