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Terrorist-tied Emmy nominee may win third award for Gaza series
A Gazan documentary series created by a woman with alleged ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization may add an Emmy to her collection of two media awards after organizers on Tuesday defended the nomination from mounting calls for its disqualification.
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) President and CEO Adam Sharp stood by the Emmy nomination of Bisan Atef Owda and her series “It’s Bisan From Gaza and I’m Still Alive” for the 2024 News & Documentary category, arguing in a letter to Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) that the organization could not corroborate that Owda had been involved with the PFLP years ago, and that it had not seen any evidence that she was currently involved with the US State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization.
Middle East Analyst Eitan Fischberger reported on July 27 that there were articles on the PFLP website that featured Owda as a member of the terrorist organization’s youth wing. According to the official PFLP website, Owda opened four ceremonies in 2014, 2016, and 2018, which in two cases involved honoring slain terrorists. Palestinian outlet Al Watan Voice allegedly reported that in 2015 Owda, garbed in military fatigues and red PFLP paraphernalia, spoke at and opened a march in which participants held swords and knives.
The Jerusalem Post previously reported that Owda had written in the wake of the October 7 Massacre that “For every action, there is a reaction. This means: What was expected after 75 years of occupation and 17 years of siege? What was expected of us? Would the families of the prisoners remain silent?”Sharp said that nomination submissions were reviewed by experienced journalists from different outlets, and that the content was consistent with competition. NATAS found no grounds to overturn the judgments.
“The News & Documentary Emmys have recognized excellence in television journalism for nearly half a century,” wrote Sharp. “The honored programs and reports have taken viewers to the front lines of every world conflict, probed political and cultural divides, and sought to illuminate even the darkest circumstances. Some of these works have been controversial, giving a platform to voices that certain viewers may find objectionable or even abhorrent. But all have been in the service of the journalistic mission to capture every facet of the story.”
Entertainment industry leaders condemn decision with open letter
The NATAS statement to CCFP came in response to the issuance of its Monday open letter signed by 150 entertainment industry leaders, including producer Haim Saban, Actress Debra Messing, and Actress Selma Blair. The letter asserted that NATAS was honoring “an individual who has actively participated in PFLP rallies and disseminated antisemitic content legitimizes a terrorist organization and undermines the integrity of the Emmys.”
“The Emmy’s decision to honor someone with clear ties to a US-designated terrorist group is inexcusable and should have never happened,” said CCFP executive director Ari Ingel. “If the Emmys don’t change course and rescind this nomination, they will be glorifying someone who is a member of an organization that has carried our numerous aircraft hijackings, participated in the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, carried out waves of bombings on markets and restaurants and murdered innocent women and children. The Emmys cannot allow their prestigious award show to be hijacked by terrorists, and instead should continue to promote peace and tolerance through the arts.”
After Owda’s nomination on July 25, Zachor Legal Institute on August 8 also issued a letter calling on NATAS to disqualify her, also attacking the Qatari government-funded Al Jazeera studio AJ+ that published Owda’s series alleging it provided coverage whitewashing Gazan terrorist organizations and a Holocaust denial and conspiracy video.
Sharp noted in his letter that “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive,” which documents the life of the titular 25-year-old Gazan during the early stages of the war against Hamas, had already won two other media awards.
The program won the 2024 Edward R. Murrow Award for a News Series last Thursday and on May 9 won a 2024 Peabody Award.
Israel’s political echelon, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered the IDF to prepare for an “immediate” return to fighting in Gaza, KAN News reported on Friday evening.
The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this week that Israeli officials estimated that if no agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas, Israel would return to fighting in Gaza in about a week and a half.
“Hamas is currently rejecting [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff’s proposal, so it is very difficult to make progress,” one official said.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Witkoff’s plan involves the release of half of the living hostages and the return of half of the bodies on the first day of the continued deal. The rest of the hostages and bodies would be returned on the 42nd day, which would be the final day of the ceasefire.However, some claim that the terrorist organization has not rejected the proposal. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, “Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the Witkoff proposal.”
Eyal Zamir to Gaza border community heads: We’re preparing to fight
On his first day as the new IDF chief of staff on Thursday, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told heads of local councils from the Gaza border communities that “we are preparing to return to fighting” in Gaza.
“We must defeat Hamas,” Zamir said. “We are also preparing to resume fighting. The hostages are our top priority.”
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
Negotiations over the continued release of hostages held in Gaza have stalled, and “right now there is nothing happening,” sources familiar with details of the talks admitted in conversation with The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
“Right now, there’s nothing happening,” an Israeli official told the Post, adding that “Hamas is currently rejecting the Witkoff proposal, so it is very difficult to make progress.”
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the Witkoff plan involves the release of half of the living hostages and the return of half of the bodies on the first day of the deal. The second half of the hostages and bodies would be returned on the 42nd day, which would be the final day of the ceasefire.
On the other hand, some claim that Hamas has not rejected the proposal. “Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the Witkoff proposal,” said a source with knowledge of the negotiations with the Post.“Hamas has said it is willing to negotiate and has not rejected the plan. Since Israel currently states that this is the proposal on the table, from Israel’s perspective, Hamas has rejected it.”
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff not expected to visit Israel soon, source says
An Israeli source told the Post that there is no expectation for Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, to visit the region at the moment, adding, “He will only come to finalize a deal. And since there is no real progress right now, it is unclear when or if he will arrive.”
Without an agreement on the release of additional hostages in the coming days, Israeli sources say Israel is preparing to escalate its actions against Hamas. After the decision on Sunday to stop humanitarian aid, Israel is preparing to cut off water and electricity to the Gaza Strip, as well as resume fighting – some say this might happen, without a deal, as early as next week.
Israeli officials suggest that even without accepting the Witkoff initiative, Hamas might agree to release additional hostages in the near future in exchange for the release of terrorists from prison and the entry of caravans and humanitarian aid, but they add that this also depends on other issues.
“The Israeli government needs to decide what will be negotiated with Hamas and what they will receive in exchange for the release of hostages in the coming weeks,” said an Israeli source. “Hamas’s agreement to release more hostages depends on the answers to these questions.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israel responded to the mediators’ request to allow a few more days of negotiations. Katz added,d “If Hamas does not release the hostages soon, the gates of Gaza will be locked and the gates of hell will be opened – we will return to fighting, and they will face the IDF with forces and methods they have never encountered before.”
Israeli officials suggest that even without accepting the Witkoff initiative, Hamas might agree to release additional hostages in the near future in exchange for the release of terrorists from prison and the entry of caravans and humanitarian aid, but they add that this also depends on other issues. “The Israeli government needs to decide what will be negotiated with Hamas and what they will receive in exchange for the release of hostages in the coming weeks,” said an Israeli source. “Hamas’s agreement to release more hostages depends on the answers to these questions.”
No progress has been made in the ceasefire talks in Cairo, and Israel is reaching a dead end, a source familiar with the details of the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post Saturday.
There were lots of technical discussions but no results, the source added.
Israel and mediating countries believe that only the Trump administration can perhaps break the talks out of the impasse.
“When [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff arrives, things may happen. Everyone is waiting for him,” the source said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a meeting on the hostage deal in the next several hours with senior officials and the negotiation team, an Israeli official told the Post.
Hamas refusing Israeli proposal to extend phase one of deal
Hamas is refusing the idea of extending the first phase of the deal, Israeli officials said.
The Israeli and Qatari delegations arrived in Cairo on Thursday. The delegation is led by Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Persons, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, as well as “M,” an anonymous officer from the Shin Bet. M is the former deputy of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who is reportedly no longer part of the hostage deal negotiating team.
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