MSNBC 'removes' three Muslim presenters amid Israel's Gaza war

Muslim journalists Mehdi Hasan, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Ali Velshi have been allegedly removed from regular programming and news on Gaza at US broadcaster MSNBC, sources at the news channel have said.

It comes amid an Israeli offensive on the besieged enclave following a surprise Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October.

Ongoing Israeli bombardment in Gaza has killed more than 2,800 Palestinians, while the death toll from the Hamas attack in Israel is over 1,300.

On Monday, MSNBC insiders who asked to remain anonymous told The New Arab said that Hasan, Velshi, and Mohyeldin's shows had been suspended, but they were allowed to appear on the channel as analysts.

"They told Mehdi that they need his staff because they're under a lot of pressure, but when he offered to do the show alone they said they don't want to do shows," one of the sources said.

"Ayman was taken off and stopped but they’re still using him as a guest analyst to limit his time and exposure," they added.

The three presenters are said to be awaiting further decisions from the channel's management on the issue.

Saudi daily Arab News previously reported on Friday that two sources had confirmed that Hasan, Mohyeldin, and another Muslim journalist, Velshi, had seen their shows suspended by MSNBC.

Arab News said Velshi is "still reporting from the ground on other shows".

News website Semafor on Thursday reported the three journalists had been "quietly taken… out of the anchor's chair".

It said MSNBC did not broadcast an episode of Hasan's show set to play on Thursday on streaming service Peacock.

Semafor said the company also "reversed a plan" for Mohyeldin to step in for another host on a show on Thursday and Friday evening.

The New Arab contacted MSNBC for comment, but received no response.

In an interview with Sky News, ex-PM of #Israel Naftali Bennett defended collective punishment of civilians in Gaza, saying, “We're fighting Nazis!” Over 2.2 million people are trapped in #gaza #palestine #gazaunderattack

🔴 Live coverage: https://t.co/X8Dir9jkXY pic.twitter.com/fCWBh3USkP

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) October 14, 2023

Reports of the suspensions come as Western media outlets have come under criticism from readers and viewers over alleged bias towards Israel.

Hasan and Velshi have both long covered issues related to Israel and Palestine, while Mohyeldin has reported from within Gaza during previous Israeli attacks on the enclave.

In 2014, Mohyeldin was pulled from covering stories in Gaza after witnessing Israel's killing of four Palestinian boys on a Gaza beach. NBC later said it had removed the Egyptian-American reporter from Gaza over "security concerns".