Karen Attiah, a Washington Post columnist who formerly led the paper’s international opinions section, has come under criticism for her social media posts in which she appeared to lend support to those engaging in violence against Israeli citizens.
Attiah shared a social media post that suggested people who use terms like “decolonization” but do not support Hamas are hypocrites. She later reposted someone else’s comment that criticized non-violent forms of protest, implying that violence might be necessary for justice.
In one post, Attiah justified terrorism by stating that violence by non-state actors is often seen as unjustified compared to state violence, but this perception is changing.
Attiah defended her stance by highlighting her academic background in studying race construction, human rights, and global anti-colonial resistance. She expressed support for the liberation and self-determination of oppressed and colonized people.
Some critics argue that Attiah’s posts promote violence and fail to acknowledge the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also accuse her of being influenced by special interests during her tenure as Global Opinions Editor at the Washington Post.