An investigation has been launched into a NewsGuild Staffer who allegedly tweeted against zionists, New York Post reported Friday.
The NewsGuild of New York, which represents journalists from prominent publications such as The New York Times, Reuters, and Condé Nast, has initiated an investigation into one of its staff members who allegedly disparaged Zionists as “butchers” and “depraved monsters” on social media, according to the New York Post. This probe is being conducted by the law firm Cohen, Weiss, and Simon, with findings expected within thirty days.
This inquiry was spurred by a surge in complaints during a member meeting Wednesday originally convened to discuss a proposed increase in union dues. However, the focus shifted when a reporter questioned the rationale behind funding staff whose actions seemingly undermine their own colleagues, New York Post reported. This sentiment was echoed by others who voiced frustrations over the use of their dues for both the salaries of controversial union representatives and the legal scrutiny they necessitated.
New York Times, Condé Nast union lawyers up after leaders’ anti-Israel tweets https://t.co/X2454GuLTK pic.twitter.com/3U6DIp92Yh
— New York Post (@nypost) June 7, 2024
The tension reached a boiling point following a report by the New York Post, which unearthed inflammatory tweets by Nastaran Mohit, the organizing director of the NewsGuild. Mohit’s contentious remarks extended beyond Israel, as evidenced by a now-deleted tweet allegedly accusing participants of the 2023 New York Times Dealbook Summit, including notable figures like Elon Musk and Bob Iger, of being “the world’s biggest criminals.” (RELATED: Student Barred From Ivy League Campus For Allegedly Threatening Remarks About Zionists)
Adding to the controversy, Benjamin Dictor, a top labor attorney whose firm has been financially linked with the NewsGuild, also allegedly made provocative statements about Israel’s actions in Gaza, intensifying the scrutiny faced by the union, according to the New York Post. Dictor also reportedly shared a Times headline that stated women and children were “reported killed” in Gaza, adding the commentary “reported killed = murdered by Israel.”