Reporter criticizes hostage survivor over Arab citizen remarks

Suleiman Maswadeh, Channel 13's correspondent in the United States, published a post on X Thursday directly addressing hostage survivor Rom Braslavski, following a tweet Braslavski posted regarding Arab citizens. Maswadeh criticized Braslavski's remarks, arguing that he was drawing an equivalence between law-abiding Arab citizens and the Hamas terrorists who held him captive. At the same time, Maswadeh emphasized that he did not intend to judge Braslavski for what he endured in captivity.

"Hi Rom. I honestly thought twice about whether to write to you or not. I can't imagine what you went through in captivity, despite everything I've heard and despite covering it day by day, hour by hour, from the start of the war until the release of the last hostage," Maswadeh opened.

He continued: "I can't imagine what you and the other hostages went through and will still go through. And I'm not here to judge."

But the journalist immediately moved to direct criticism of the hostage survivor: "And after saying that, I can't understand this tweet of yours. On October 7, Arab citizens were kidnapped along with you. Some of them were also murdered. Hamas terrorists mainly wanted to kill Jews, and they also killed Arabs whose only crime was being born on the other side of the border."

Maswadeh went on to address the actions of Arab citizens during the October 7 attack, noting that Arab paramedics and residents came to the Nova festival area and to Gaza border communities and helped save lives. He also mentioned that wounded people evacuated to hospitals were treated by Arab medical staff as well.

"What is the fault of those dedicated people who come to work every day, work double shifts, that you punish them and compare them to the terrorists who held you captive?" Maswadeh asked.

He sharpened his criticism further, writing: "Why this unbearable symmetry between law-abiding citizens who contribute to the state (sometimes more than Jewish citizens), that you speak to them like this?"

Rom Braslavski (Photo: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Maswadeh reiterated that he cannot imagine how he himself would cope with a period of captivity, but argued that this does not justify the comparison he says emerges from the tweet.

"I believe you are making an unbearable symmetry between a terror organization and 20 percent of the citizens of your state," he wrote.

He then addressed the issue of medical treatment specifically, clarifying that Braslavski has the right to choose who treats him: "It's your right to ask for whoever you want to treat you, all the more so after what you went through."

However, he objected to placing an Arab doctor, a citizen of the state, in the same equation as a terrorist who kidnapped and held a person captive.

But later in the post, Maswadeh directed blame toward the political system, attacking both the government and politicians from the opposition camp.

"But I really have no complaints against you. You were ultimately taken captive under the watch of a government that takes no responsibility for it," Maswadeh wrote.

He added: "I have complaints against those politicians (from the 'change' camp) who instead of trying to fix this injustice, are fueling the despicable bonfire that after October 7, you can't form a government with Arabs."

Despite the criticism he voiced throughout the post, Maswadeh ended his remarks with a personal message to the hostage survivor: "I wish you only a good life, dear Rom."