Washington Post Reporter Under Fire for Anti-Israel Social Media Posts

A reporter for The Washington Post is under close examination because of past comments she made on social media that have led people to question whether she can remain fair and unbiased when covering the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Heba Farouk Mahfouz, who works in the newspaper’s Cairo office, has been criticized for statements she made online in which she called Israel an “illegal state” and shared opinions that are strongly against Zionism.

Mahfouz’s posts, most of which were written between 2012 and 2014, include very strong and harsh language directed at Israel. In one post, she said, “If my anti-Zionist views hurt your Zio-Nazi feelings, FUCK OFF & SHUT THE FUCK UP!” She also added, “Call me a Nazi, call me a terrorist, call me backward, but still, fuck your illegal ‘state’ of #Israel.” These comments have caused a lot of negative reactions, especially from readers who doubt her ability to report fairly on Israel and its conflicts with Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group.

In other comments, Mahfouz described Zionism as “racism” and suggested that Israel “despises #African #Jews and any dark skinned Jew.” She also made a controversial comparison between the Holocaust and how Israel treats Palestinians, writing in one post, “‘Never again,’ said the Zionist settler who is killing Palestinians now in a genocide.”

Adding to the concerns about her professional role, Mahfouz has shown support for Hamas and Hezbollah, two groups that are often seen as hostile to Israel and declared terrorist organizations by the U.S. In May 2013, she wrote, “always forever will be with the resistance as long as it is against the Zionist entity.” In another post, she said, “With the resistance always and forever,” specifically referring to her support for these groups as long as they are fighting against Israel and not other Arab groups.

Mahfouz started working at The Washington Post in August 2016, not long after she described herself as “anti-Zionist” on her Twitter profile—a label she later removed after joining the newspaper. A spokesperson for The Post told Jewish Insider that the newspaper is “aware of the alleged social media posts” and is currently looking into the situation. The spokesperson also said that more information would be shared if there are any updates.

Eitan Fischberger, a writer and activist who supports Israel, was the first to uncover many of Mahfouz’s posts last week, which sparked a public debate. After these posts came to light, Mahfouz locked her account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, though some of her statements have been saved through screenshots.

Since the October attacks, Mahfouz has written or contributed to 13 articles focusing on Israel and Gaza, which has further fueled concerns about whether her personal views might influence her reporting. The scrutiny of her past social media activity comes at a time when the newspaper’s leadership is dealing with internal dissatisfaction and external criticism about its editorial decisions and coverage, particularly regarding perceived anti-Israel sentiments.

Source: JewishInsider, DNI.gov (1), DNI.gov (2)