Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led a coalition of 13 other Republican state attorneys general calling for media organizations to cut ties with Gaza-based journalists with alleged ties to Hamas.
The Republican state attorney general sent a letter Monday to top officials at the New York Times, Associated Press, CNN and Reuters, claiming the news outlets were employing freelancers to assist in coverage of the Israel-Hamas war who have affiliations with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the Gaza Strip.
The letter cites reporting from the New York Times on Israel’s statement criticizing these four media organizations for employing freelance contributors who Israeli officials claimed had advanced knowledge on the Oct. 7 attack.
Nitzan Chen, the press office director for the Israeli government, wrote a letter in October asking the organizations’ Israel bureau chiefs to clarify the behavior of four photojournalists who Israeli officials said arrived at the Israel border “alongside Hamas terrorists, documenting the murder of Israeli civilians, lynching of soldier and kidnappings to Gaza,” according to Politico.
The news services have denied allegations that they had any forewarning about the Hamas attack, which killed more than 1,200 people.
While there was a ceasefire in place from Nov. 23 through 30, conflict has restarted with Israeli Defense Forces advancing into southern Gaza Tuesday, according to the Washington Post.
In the letter, Bird praised the AP’s and CNN’s decision to cut ties with freelancer Hassan Eslaiah, a photographer whom Honest Reporting, a non-government organization supporting Israel, claimed has ties to Hamas forces. But the Iowa AG said news organizations need to do more to ensure they are not providing “material support for terrorism” by better screening freelance hires.
The letter states that material support or resources for terrorist organizations is illegal under federal law, as well as under state law in many places like Iowa. That kind of support includes “knowingly assisting or providing money,” “communication equipment,” “facilities” or other physical assets, according to Iowa Code.
The letter also cited a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found the definition of “material support” can also include providing peace deal negotiation training, and teaching on how to petition international organizations like the United Nations for relief — as well as “writing and distributing publications supporting the organization,” which Bird highlighted as a stipulation that may be relevant to news outlets’ conduct.
“Media outlets funding friends of terrorist organizations is illegal and shameful,” Bird said in a statement. “We demand that these media outlets do their job and make sure they are not sending paychecks to terrorist sympathizers or terrorists. We don’t have room for error. Too much is at stake.”
State attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia also signed on to the letter. Bird wrote that the four news organizations must contract work using due diligence to ensure they are not providing funds to “members of terror organizations” in the future.
“We will continue to follow your reporting to ensure that your organizations do not violate any federal or State laws by giving material support to terrorists abroad,” the letter stated. “Now your organizations are on notice. Follow the law.”
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