Earlier this week, The New York Times issued a correction to an article it published detailing the heartbreaking story of 18-month-old Zakaria al-Mutawaq, who suffers from severe malnutrition in Gaza and whose shocking emaciated image in the Times went viral. The statement said, “The Times learned that he also had pre-existing health problems.” As many online slammed the publication for their tone-deaf correction, one person had a different take.
“That correction was not bad at all for me,” says acclaimed Palestinian poet and Pulitzer Prize winner Mosab Abu Toha. “This is telling us that even the people with diseases, who were born with genetic disorders, even these people are being starved and subjected to the Israeli-made malnutrition.”
Abu Toha joins ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ 10 days after yet another of his family members in Gaza, his cousin, was killed by Israel, leaving behind 5 children, the oldest of whom is just 11. Meanwhile, this week, the prospect of a Palestinian state was dangled in front of Palestinian eyes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened Israel that his country would recognize Palestinian statehood unless a ceasefire is agreed to by September.
“This is dehumanizing for me… They are not planning to recognize our right to have a state on our own homeland because we deserve this. But no, as a threat to Israel,” Abu Toha tells Mehdi.
Paid subscribers can watch the full interview above to hear Abu Toha explain how he was targeted by Meta one day after winning the Pulitzer, how he believes we should react to many politicians and pundits now suddenly changing their tone on Israel, and hear the heartbreaking story of how having a disease might have saved the life of his sister in Gaza.
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