Bloomberg News Calls Imprisoned Hamas Terrorists ‘Political Prisoners’

09.09.2024 18:55

The Algemeiner

Hamas terrorists kidnapping Israeli women at the Nahal Oz base near the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. Photo: Screenshot

In her Aug. 26 Bloomberg Brief broadcast, Joumanna Bercetche erroneously reported about Palestinian prisoners to be released in a possible Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

She stated (18:50):

The goal here, which the US Administration and international community has been pressing for, is a cessation of hostilities but also the exchange of hostages and Palestinian political prisoners. [Emphasis added.]

Palestinian prisoners who would be released under the ceasefire proposal are in no way “political prisoners.”

Political prisoners are those held for their beliefs or political activity like participation in legal, non-violent demonstrations.

In the ceasefire negotiations, Hamas is holding hard and fast for its demands for the release of its terrorists and operatives — i.e., members of a designated terror organization. Hamas operatives are not “political prisoners.”

Palestinian journalist Abd Al-Bari Fayyad has made clear that Hamas is demanding the release of its members. He wrote:

… It seems that Hamas’ rigid position is closing the window on the negotiations for the release of the Israeli hostages, because it adheres to [its demand] to release all its operatives from Israel’s prisons in exchange [for the hostages]. [emphasis added]

Western nations do not regard incarcerated terrorists as political prisoners, as the European Council definition makes clear.

Palestinians who carry out terror attacks against Israeli citizens are not protesting their own (Palestinian) government with non-violent activity.

Hamas’ Ali Baraka has said that Hamas also seeks the release of Hamas prisoners held in the United States and Europe. Does Bloomberg believe that Hamas terrorists held in jail in the US and Europe are also “political prisoners”?

As Bloomberg itself has previously reported, among the prisoners released in earlier deals include Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre, and Ahmed Yassin.

Hamas also demands the release of Marwan Barghouti, a former head of the Tanzim terror organization, who was convicted for the murder of five Israelis and the wounding of many more. Barghouti, like is colleagues in the rival terror organization of Hamas, is also no political prisoner.

Media outlets that have previously corrected erroneous references to imprisoned Palestinian terrorists as “political prisoners” include The Guardian, Independent, Christian Science Monitor, and Deadline Hollywood.

In response to communication from CAMERA, editors added the following problematic clarification to its webpage carrying the broadcast:

(In referring to an outcome of talks, our correspondent referred to the release of Palestinian political prisoners. Prisoners being held may not necessarily be for political reasons and may be operatives in the conflict.)

While CAMERA applauds Bloomberg’s prompt effort to address the broadcast’s error, the attempted clarification wrongly reinforces the false notion that at least some prisoners who could be released under a deal are political prisoners. CAMERA has requested that Bloomberg identify which Palestinian prisoners are being held for their political beliefs or protected political activity, as opposed to membership in a designated terror organization, and/or participation in terror activity.

Unless the media outlet is able to identify any political prisoners, a forthright revision of the inadequate correction is in order.

Tamar Sternthal is the director of CAMERA’s Israel Office. A version of this article previously appeared on the CAMERA website.

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