Under fire from Israeli lobby, Gaza journalist firm on competing for Emmy

Bisan Owda has often been accused of “condoning violence” and “spreading anti-Semitism” because she has been reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza, sharing gut-wrenching videos and pictures from the ground.

What Owda is facing is a classic Zionist tactic to smear pro-Palestinian solidarity and undermine Palestinian achievements.

Her courageous work has been nominated for the 2024 News & Documentary Emmys in the Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Short Form category by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

The 25-year-old journalist from Gaza has been posting videos from the bombed-out enclave since October 7, the beginning of Israel’s brutal war on Palestinians in Gaza.

But the nomination has irked some American celebrities, who published an open letter to NATAS on Monday, which was signed by over 150 music and film executives, including struggling, washed up actors like Selma Blair, Debra Messing, Sherry Lansing, and others.

They find the award nomination “deeply troubling” stating that the young journalist has been “promoting dangerous falsehoods, spreading antisemitism, and condoning violence.”

Their accusations however were found to be baseless by the academy. Therefore, Bisan will stay in the race.

Ten months into Israel’s bloody war on Gaza, the Israeli army's attacks left at least 40,000 Palestinians dead and over 92,000 wounded.

Described as "genocidal" by numerous human rights groups and heads of state, the war is now being called the “first genocide broadcast live.”

Young and brave Palestinians like Bisan have been sharing the gruesome killings Israel has been carrying out in Gaza since October 7 last year.

Endless displacement

Bisan begins each video by reminding viewers that she’s still alive, surviving another day.

The 8-minute digital documentary titled "It’s Bisan and I’m Still Alive," published by AJ+, a digital subsidiary of the Al Jazeera Media Network, compiles short videos in which Bisan documents her family's struggle as they flee their home in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, amid relentless Israeli airstrikes.

They sought refuge in Al Shifa Hospital, a location designated as a safe zone by the Israeli army. However, the hospital was later invaded by Israeli troops, who left behind a mass grave after a two-week military assault.

Over the past 10 months, her family has been displaced more than 10 times, struggling to survive amid continuous warfare.

Bisan kept sharing with the world what a typical day for a Palestinian in Gaza looks like during war, highlighting the humanitarian challenges such as lack of hygiene products, food and water scarcity, limited medical supplies, and destroyed infrastructure.

Her reportage, often including her outcry with tears on her face, has garnered over 40 million views across various digital platforms.

In May, she was awarded the Peabody Award for her work, which she accepted via video call from her tent in Gaza.

False accusations

The celebrities alleged in the letter that Bisan had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and urged NATAS to rescind the nomination, as the PFLP is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US.

The group is the second-largest faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and was elected to the Legislative Council in the 2006 parliamentary elections.

The letter added that Bisan “routinely disseminates antisemitism across her social media platforms,” and urged NATAS “to prevent glorifying a figure associated with terrorism and ensure the Emmys remain a symbol of peace and artistic collaboration.”

The non-profit organisation Creative Community for Peace (CCP), an Israeli lobby group, is behind the letter. It has previously spearheaded campaigns uniting Hollywood celebrities to support Israel after October 7 and to advocate for its participation in Eurovision.

In response to the open letter, Adam Sharp, president and CEO of NATAS, defended the nomination. He noted that the selection process involved two panels of experienced journalists and that there was no evidence of Bisan’s current affiliation with the PFLP.

“NATAS does not intervene in or countermand the judgement of these journalists except when competition rules have been violated, nor does NATAS determine the eligibility or ineligibility of news reporting based on the political views represented.”

The CCP letter includes reports and pictures showing Bisan speaking at PFLP events between 2014 and 2018.

In his response, Sharp stated that NATAS is aware of reports “that appear to show a then-teenaged Bisan Owda speaking at various PFLP-associated events between six and nine years ago.”

He added that the reports submitted for award consideration were consistent with competition rules and policies, which is why the academy “has found no grounds, to date, upon which to overturn the editorial judgement of the independent journalists who reviewed the material.”

The Emmy winner in the category for which Bisen’s work has been shortlisted will be announced at the end of September.