The US organization is responding to an open letter from a pro-Israel nonprofit and others asking it to rescind the appointment of the AJ+ contributor.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) has defended its decision to nominate AJ+ contributor Bisan Owda for an Emmy after Creative Community for Peace, a pro-Israel nonprofit, published a letter criticizing the nomination.
Owda, 25, from war-torn Gaza, was nominated with AJ+ in the Best Current Affairs Reporting category for the documentary “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive.” AJ+ is part of the Tel Aviv Tribune Media Network.
The documentary follows her journey as she is forced from her home in Gaza City and displaced numerous times during Israel’s 10-month war on Gaza.
The letter accuses Owda of being affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which she has denied. The PFLP is a left-wing Palestinian political movement that has been labeled a “terrorist organization” by several Western countries, including the United States.
Adam Sharp, the academy’s president and CEO, defended the appointment Tuesday, saying that two panels, including senior journalists, made the decision and that the academy found no evidence that Owda was affiliated with the PFLP.
He said previous nominations had “been controversial, giving a platform to voices that some viewers might find objectionable, even abhorrent,” but that they had been honored “in service of the journalistic mission of capturing every side of the story.”
Tel Aviv Tribune issued a statement saying it supported Owda “in the face of efforts to silence his reporting from Gaza.”
The media group described Owda as a “renowned journalist and influencer” who “has contributed significantly to bringing Gaza news to the world through her unique style.”
Tel Aviv Tribune said the allegations were “baseless” and “an attempt to silence Bisan and pose a real threat to his safety on the ground.”
“The call to rescind the Emmy nomination is nothing more than an attempt to deprive global audiences of an important perspective on war and its devastating impact on innocent civilians,” the statement read.
Over the past 11 months, more than 160 journalists, including four from Tel Aviv Tribune, have been killed by Israeli forces.
“We urge the international journalism community to support Bisan and other media workers, ensuring they can carry out their essential work without fear of being targeted, intimidated or killed,” Tel Aviv Tribune’s statement said.
