Ali Mahmud

2024-03-31

Nissim Louk, the father of Shani Louk, who was tragically abducted and killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7, has voiced his support for the recognition of a photo capturing his daughter's abduction, despite criticism from activists and friends of other victims. The Associated Press (AP) recently received a prestigious journalism award in the Team Picture Story of the Year category for its photo essay titled "Israel and Hamas War." One of the images featured in the collection depicts a half-naked woman, identified as Shani Louk, lying seemingly unconscious in the back of a pickup truck surrounded by armed men. This photo, taken by freelance photographer Ali Mahmud, who was embedded with Hamas terrorist during the attack, stirred controversy and condemnation from various quarters. Speaking to the Ynet news site, Nissim Louk expressed his perspective on the matter, stating, "It's good that the photo won the prize. This is one of the most important photos in the last 50 years." He likened the image to historical photographs that symbolize significant eras, such as the iconic image of a Jew raising his hands or paratroopers at the Western Wall. Louk emphasized the importance of such documentation for future generations, saying, "This is history. In 100 years, they will look and know what happened here." Shani Louk, aged 22, was among the victims of the horrific Supernova music festival attack carried out by Hamas terrorists. The assault resulted in numerous casualties and abductions, including Louk, . This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking manage preferences. While Louk's father sees the recognition of the photo as a positive development in preserving historical memory, others have criticized the decision to award it. Israel's Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, denounced the prize as a form of "normalization of antisemitic hate," reflecting the deep divisions surrounding the image's portrayal. Critics argue that the awarding of such a photo is insensitive and unethical, causing further anguish to the families of the victims. Shani Cohen, a friend of Shani Louk, described the decision as "completely unethical" and "completely ridiculous," emphasizing the pain it has caused among Louk's loved ones. This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking manage preferences. Yuli Tsinker, another friend of Shani Louk, expressed mixed feelings, acknowledging the shocking nature of the image while also highlighting its potential to shed light on the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-03-29

I want to start this article by saying that Amit Soussana is quite possibly one of the bravest women I have ever encountered. Soussana, a released Gaza hostage, was the first survivor of Hamas’s systemic sexual abuse to come out publicly and speak about her plight in an interview this week with The New York Times. She was held by a man named Muhammad in what seemed to be a child’s room covered in photos of Spongebob Squarepants. He would grope her, lift her shirt, and at one point, he forced her to commit a sexual act on him. He hit her repeatedly, pointed a gun at her, and made her do it. There are no words to describe how difficult it must have been to come forward and tell this enormously horrific and traumatizing experience – and to the Times, no less, one of the most circulated publications in the world. But one of the biggest challenges of coming forward is concern over the response, to be sure, and unfortunately, Israel’s opponents did not disappoint. The interrogation of Islamic Jihad terrorist Manar Mahmoud Muhammad Qasem (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) X (formerly Twitter) was filled with talkbacks claiming that Soussana was lying, that the article was sharing Israeli propaganda, and in more extreme cases, arguing that the rape of Israeli women was justified. As a human being on this earth, but especially one with even a shred of empathy, that should have hurt to read. As a woman who knows what it is to face gender biases and sexism, it was nauseating. Equally nauseating was finding out that one week prior, Associated Press freelance photographer Ali Mahmud won the Team Picture Story of the Year award for his photograph of Shani Louk’s half-naked corpse as Hamas terrorists were driving it away on October 7. The photograph was taken in close quarters. The photographer stood mere meters away from the terrorists and captured the image. Pictures of the Year International, the photojournalism competition that awarded Mahmud, shared the photograph on its Instagram, praising the photographer. Louk’s name was not mentioned anywhere. Mahmud was named in the lawsuit by October 7 victims’ families last month against Reuters and the Associated Press, which claimed that they had employed photojournalists who accompanied the Hamas terrorists on their massacre. These two incidents, one after the other, have brought forth more than anything, that Israeli women have had to put up with some of the worst conditions imaginable. Still, I do not turn my head to the anti-Israel crowd but rather to women around the world. Women have historically faced discrimination, harassment, and violence solely based on their gender. We share this trauma bond. This shared experience should foster solidarity and empathy among women, but Israeli women have felt more alone than ever before, abandoned by their sisters abroad. What happened to #MeToo? What happened to “believe the victims?” We are accustomed to facing skepticism, victim-blaming, and institutional barriers to justice, but not from one another: not from other women. Their refusal to listen, to recognize that Israeli women have been so victimized, opposes any precedent other Israeli victims may have had to come forward. By believing and amplifying the voices of women who have experienced sexual violence and femicide, we can ensure that their stories are heard and their experiences validated. By ignoring them or calling them liars, we shut them up. By demonstrating belief and empathy toward other women, we also set a powerful example for future generations. By refusing to do so, we teach them that it is alright to silence other women and deny their right to support or solidarity. To all those who refuse to believe or simply ignore or turn away from Israeli victims of sexual violence, there is something deeply disturbing about your choices, and your attempts at self-justification of these choices only further prove how depraved this mentality is. But women, other women, look up. We have worked so hard to create a nurturing community of understanding, empathy, and solidarity, and you will throw all of that out of the window just because it does not align with your political narrative. Believe all women – Israelis included. Do that, or prove your hypocrisy. The writer is deputy editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-03-28

A freelance photojournalist, Ali Mahmud, contributed to the Associated Press winning first place for the Team Picture Story of the Year last week for taking a photo of 's half-naked corpse as it was being driven away by Hamas terrorists on . According to the Pictures of the Year program's website, the category "recognizes the collaborative effort of a photography staff covering a single topic or news story. It is a narrative picture story that consists of images taken as part of a team effort to cover a single issue or news story." Other photos, mostly attributed to other photographers on behalf of the Press, took photos of destroyed or damaged buildings in Gaza, injured or dead Palestinians, Israeli mourning at funerals or fleeing from rockets attacks. The program posted news about the Press's victory, alongside Mahmoud's photo of Louk on Instagram, where they came under immense criticism from users. Louk's name is not mentioned anywhere in the program's Instagram post. "There is a dead body of a partially unclothed human being, a young woman who was brutally murdered and probably raped. This cannot be real. Please remove this photo," one user wrote, while another said "She has a name. Shani Louk. Her family specifically requested that we remember her laughing and living. Take this down and show some respect. If you want to post our Shani, find a photo she consented to." SOLDIERS PAY their respects at the Nova music festival site in November. ‘Beyond the sounds of the shofar, guns, music, prayers, livestock, and bombs, I also heard the whispers,’ says the writer. (credit: MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP) Mahmud, who took the photo of Louk, had his name mentioned in an earlier report when parents of Louk and other Nova massacre victims last month for their employment of photo-journalists who accompanied the terrorists on their pogrom, and contends that AP ignored close connections the photographers had to terrorist organizations, to which they said they nor have we seen any evidence – including in the lawsuit – that the freelance journalists who contributed to our coverage did." Michael Starr contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-02-29

The families of five Supernova festival attendees murdered in the filed a lawsuit to the Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday against Associated Press and Reuters for their employment of photo-journalists who accompanied the terrorists during their pogrom. Representatives of the parents of Shani Louk, May Naim, Lotan Abir, Guy Gabriel Levi, and Shalev Madmoni argued that the news agencies were liable for journalists in their continued employ who knew about and whose photos inspired further violence. The lawsuit contended that the journalists participated in the crime, and received compensation from Reuters and AP for their involvement by selling or licensing the image rights. It was argued that a number of images of serious crimes were uploaded to the news agencies website, whose rights belong to them and sometimes only credited the news agencies. It was unlikely that the journalists did not know about ahead of time, given the photographs they took at the very beginning of the attack, yet did not alert authorities, the filing charged. The publication of the photos in the early hours of October 7 inspired Gazans to swarm into Israel to conduct further violence, the lawsuit claimed. A REUTERS photo taken by Abu Mostafa on Oct. 7: Palestinians carry the body of an Israeli soldier slaughtered by Hamas after being pulled from a tank. (credit: Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa/Reuters) In an Instagram live video, Reuters and AP freelancer Ashraf Amra and Reuters freelancer Muhammad Fayq Abu Mustafa described how they were at the pogrom from the very beginning where they documented the lynching of a soldier and other acts of violence, and encouraged others to follow suit and go into Israel. AP freelancer Hassan Eslaiah was alleged to have clear connections to Hamas, the lawsuit said, pointing to a photo of him with Yahya Sinwar. He also breached the fence and transferred photos to AP. Hatem Ali, another AP freelancer, was said by the lawsuit to have taken photos of senior Yaffa Adar as she was being kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz, as well as of Kfar Aza resident Yarden Bibas being beaten by a mob. AP freelancer Ali Mahmud took photos of German-Israeli Shani Louk, whose family then suffered from seeing the body of their loved one mangled and disrespected in newspapers and on the Internet. The families demanded compensation for their anguish and the lifelong consequences of the tragedy. The lawsuit follows a lawsuit against AP filed in the Southern District of Florida on behalf of survivors, family members of victims, and those displaced by the attack. The lawsuit contended that AP ignored the connections the photographers had to terrorist organizations. AP said on Thursday that the Florida lawsuit was baseless, and that it "had no advance knowledge of the October 7 attacks, nor have we seen any evidence – including in the lawsuit – that the freelance journalists who contributed to our coverage did." "Documenting breaking news events around the world – no matter how horrific – is our job," said AP Vice President of Corporate Communications Lauren Easton. "Without AP and other news organizations, the world would not have known what was happening on October 7."  ...قراءة المزيد

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