On January 14th, 2024, the well known broadcast journalist Mehdi Hasan interviewed one of the most influential journalists in Gaza, Motaz Azaiza. Azaiza has gained 17 million followers on Instagram due to his coverage on the Palestinian day to day life during the current Israel-Hamas War. On October 7th, 2023, the day Hamas attacked southern Israel, Azaiza’s life completely shifted as he began to risk his life in order to cover what life in Palestine is like in today’s world. By participating in this interview and using his voice to speak out, Azaiza claims he is in danger due to the IDF targeting journalists and their families.
The first message Motaz Azaiza told Mehdi Hasan on The Mehdi Hasan Show was “Nobody shall call themselves a free person if he’s watching another person, another human being getting murdered right in front of them” Looking at this quote and living in a country where “freedom” is considered a basic human right, I realize that yes, we as Americans have limited freedom. We are witnessing our government funding and supporting the genocide of thousands, but we physically cannot do anything to stop this because the people who have real “freedom” are those in control. Motaz Azaiza has a multitude of followers from around the world that visibly see the horror and mass murders that are being committed against Palestinians on a daily, yet no matter how much money anyone has, no matter how much “freedom” anyone has, the most his 17 million followers can do is spread awareness, protest, and donate. The people in power who have the capability to stop this ongoing genocide are ignoring all questions being asked, ignoring protests, and are trying to avoid the public. According to Al Jazeera, human rights lawyer Zaha Hassan claimed “this isn’t just a blind spot. This is a fantasy land, the way the U.S. has been approaching this idea of Arab-Israeli normalization as if the Palestinian issue did not exist.”
Motaz Azaiza, along with other Palestinian journalists such as Wael-Al Dahdouh, Bisan Owda and Roshdi Sarraj are influential figures within the “Pro Palestine” movement. According to the University of Oxford, “These journalists from Gaza risk their lives to cover the Israel-Hamas war; Nothing can describe what you feel.” Azaiza graduated in 2021 with a degree in English Language and Literature from Gaza’s Al-Azhar University- a place that, according to Al Jazeera, now lies in ruins due to Israel’s aggression. Mehdi Hasan states “People call Motaz like a hero, a superhero, Motaz didn’t choose this. Motaz didn’t want this.” Azaiza also mentions the pressing issue of journalists in Gaza being targeted due to the work they partake in. “They don’t want us to tell the truth. They know that we show the realities,” says Azaiza.
Motaz Azaiza expresses his fear for not only his life, but for the future of Gaza. Mehdi Hasan used his platform to assist Azaiza in spreading awareness and calling for help and a ceasefire. Motaz Azaiza was not born a “hero,” he was forced into being a hero. Azaiza is a man with emotions, family, memories, and experiences. He is sacrificing not only his life, but his dreams and aspirations in order to cover the tragedies of what is going on in Gaza.
