Late last week, after being held hostage for approximately 500 days, and after Hamas had initially returned the wrong body, Shiri Bibas finally returned home, following her sons, Kfir, who had only been 10-months-old, and Ariel, who had only been 4-years-old. All three were confirmed to have been murdered in Gaza after having been taken hostage on October 7, 2023. Now, Shiri's uncle, Morris Schneider, is looking for accountability and is suing Al-Jazeera, a propaganda outlet for Hamas.
Coverage from Israel Hayom, which was also shared by the Israel War Room, notes that this is the first time Israelis are suing the outlet for their involvement and for covering Hamas terrorists in a sympathetic light.
#BREAKING: A Bibas family relative sues Al Jazeera, the Qatari royal family’s propaganda engine and Hamas’s global mouthpiece, for its complicity in the murder of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, now being laid to rest in Israel. pic.twitter.com/cYFHAto26r
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) February 26, 2025
Schneider is the brother of Shiri's mother, Margit Silberman, who was murdered with her husband Yossi in Nir Oz.
As the piece mentioned (Emphasis original):
The lawsuit was filed in the federal court in Washington by attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of the Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center, and utilized research conducted by attorney Jordan Cope from the StandWithUs organization. It states that Al-Jazeera employed several Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists as journalists, some of whom were directly involved in the October 7 attack.
Additionally, the lawsuit highlights exclusive interviews conducted by Al-Jazeera with Hamas leaders, including those who carried out attacks against Israeli and American civilians. The lawsuit is also directed at Al-Jazeera's US subsidiary, claiming it played a direct role in supporting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
"Terrorist organizations need media outlets"
The lawsuit, based on US anti-terror laws, also claims that Al-Jazeera knowingly assisted and helped terrorist organizations spread propaganda, recruit activists, and incite violence.
"Terrorist organizations do not operate alone. They need financial support, logistical networks, and media outlets to advance their agenda. Al-Jazeera served as an agent of the terrorist organization Hamas," said attorney Darshan-Leitner.
"US law is clear: those who knowingly provide substantial assistance to terrorists are as guilty as those who carry out the attacks. We will not allow them to hide behind the facade of a news network while acting as a mouthpiece for terrorist organizations. They will pay the price."
The propaganda outlet of Al-Jazeera has been kicked out of Israel and has also been banned in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates for inciting terrorism.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) also referenced the lawsuit and included a statement from Natalie Ecanow, a senior research analyst. "Al Jazeera can no longer hide behind the mantle of professional journalism. The war triggered by the October 7 atrocities has made that abundantly clear," she said, also speaking of what this lawsuit could mean. "From amplifying Hamas propaganda, to employing Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives, to working with the terror groups to shape its coverage of events in Gaza, Al Jazeera has amassed quite the rap sheet. Israel took the Qatari-owned network off the air last spring. This lawsuit could be step one in an American game of catch-up."
Late last October, FDD's Ahmad Sharawi also spoke to how the IDF discovered journalists with Al-Jazeera were affiliated with terrorist organizations, including Hamas.
Despite concerning ties to do with the pro-Hamas propaganda outlet, members of Congress, including those affiliated with the anti-Israel Squad, are still reposting news coverage from the English site. This comes as they never even spoke about the tragic fate of the Bibas family.