US Quaker group says NYT rejected proposed ad claiming Israel committing ‘genocide’

A Quaker group denounces the New York Times for rejecting an ad that claimed Israel is committing genocide amid the war with Hamas in Gaza.

According to the American Friends Service Committee, the proposed ad said, “Tell Congress to stop arming Israel’s genocide in Gaza now! As a Quaker organization, we work for peace. Join us. Tell the President and Congress to stop the killing and starvation in Gaza.”

A statement from the organization says the newspaper told it in response that there are “differing views on the situation. In line with our commitment to factual accuracy and adherence to legal standards, we must ensure that all advertising content complies with these widely applied definitions.”

That explanation doesn’t assuage the group’s general secretary, however, who accuses the New York Times of engaging in “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,” says Joyce Ajlouny in the statement.