Guardian review of Oct. 7 documentary laments “demonizing” of Hamas

In a turn of events that is bizarre even by the standards of recent British journalism, the newspaper The Guardian posted an article criticizing a Channel 4 documentary, One Day in October, on the grounds that it shows footage “demonizing” Hamas terrorists as they carried out the October 7 massacre, and later removed the piece from its website.

Over 1200 people were murdered, and over 240 people were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. The documentary focuses on Kibbutz Be’eri, where more than 100 of its 1100 residents were murdered that day, while about 30 were kidnapped, several of whom have been killed in captivity.

Reviewing the documentary, which combines video clips by victims, interviews with survivors, and footage shot by the terrorists themselves, Guardian writer Stuart Jeffries said, “Indeed, it does a good job of demonizing Gazans, first as testosterone-crazed Hamas killers, later as shameless civilian looters, asset-stripping the kibbutz while bodies lay in the street and the terrified living hid.”

 Following the publication of this review last week, there was an outcry from people who felt that it was actually the Hamas members and civilians who joined them in the spree of murder and rape who demonized themselves. The Guardian took the unusual step of removing the article from its website on October 10.

Social media users comment

Among the comments that many posting on social media objected to were this passage: “All our sympathies are with relatable Israelis. A mother texting farewell messages as she dies from gunshot wounds. A girl sending cute pictures of herself playing with friends to her mum, who is cowering in a toilet cubicle, hoping the terrorists she can hear breathing outside can’t hear her. By contrast, Hamas terrorists are a generalised menace on CCTV, their motives beyond One Day in October’s remit.”

One X user, Dave Rich, the Community Security Trust’s policy director, tweeted that  the piece read “[as] if there’s something wrong with sympathising with an Israeli child cowering in fear rather than the terrorists coming to kill her.”

Rachelle Moiselle said on X, “This is unbelievably dark and frankly dystopian.”

 Throughout the piece, Jeffries ignored the fact that much of the footage was not only filmed by the terrorists but broadcast by them to the world, and in some cases, broadcast live.

In a statement quoted in the Jewish Chronicle, The Guardian said, “The article did not meet our editorial standards, and we have removed it pending review. The independent readers' editor will respond to a number of readers who have raised concerns.”

On the link where the review was previously posted, the news outlet has added this message: “This article was removed on 10 October pending review.”