What did Samira Nasr say about the Israel-Palestine conflict? Harper's Bazaar editor-in-chief issues apology over 'deeply insensitive' post

Samira Nasr, the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, issued an apology almost 48 hours after giving her views on the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 10, 2023. She received a lot of backlash from her colleagues and the internet alike for her stance, on the conflict.

On Tuesday, Nasr took to her Instagram Stories to say:

"Cutting off water and electricity to 2.2 million civilians…This is the most inhuman thing I’ve seen in my life.”

The Israeli government had ordered no electricity, no food, and no fuel for the people of Gaza as a tactic to force Hamas to give back hostages, as per The Guardian.

Hearst Corporation, the media company that owns the publications, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire made a separate notice distancing themselves from Nasr after her comments came to light.

Samira Nasr later took to Instagram to express that she wanted to apologize to "the entire Jewish community."

Disclaimer: This article mentions abduction and violence against children.

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Samira Nasr issues an apology mere days after calling out the Israel Government

On October 12, 2023, Samira Nasr, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar and an employee of Hearst, posted an apology for her views on the Israel-Hamas attack.

Hamas, a Sunni Islamist political and military organization attacked Israel with thousands of rockets on October 7, 2023. They managed to infiltrate parts of Jeruselum and other Southern and central cities in the country, as per the New York Times.

The troops abducted and killed hundreds of civilians. Dozens of abductees are still trapped with the Hamas troops, and no information on their condition is available. In retaliation, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, ordered a "complete siege" in Gaza, saying:

"I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, and no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly."

Samira Nasr then made an Instagram story to give her opinion on the matter. Samira said Israel’s move to cut power to Gaza was the “most inhuman thing” she’s “ever seen”.

She is the first Black woman to hold the position of editor-in-chief at Harper's Bazaar. Her father is Lebanese and her mother is Trinidadian, as per The New York Post.

Samira Nasr received a lot of backlash due to her post, with the employees of Hearst and the online community condemning the editor-in-chief for allegedly condoning the mass killings of women and children, as per News 18.

She issued an apology on Instagram on Tuesday, saying:

"I want to apologize to my friends, colleagues, and the entire Jewish community for my deeply insensitive and hurtful comments. I have no hate in my heart for any people, and I am not in any way sympathetic to a terrorist group that just murdered thousands of innocent Israeli civilians."

She concluded:

"I’m a firm believer that words matter, and I was careless with mine. My most sincere apologies."

Hearst gave a notice to its employees saying it would donate $300,000 to charities in the region and urged their workers to do the same. They distanced themselves from Nasr's views while reassuring their other employees to "take advantage of the many well-being resources" made available by the media company.

As per CNN, at the time of writing this article the death toll has reached more than 1,200 People in Israel, with over 2,800 people injured. In Palestine, especially near the Gaza Strip, 1,055 people have been killed and 5,183 people have been injured in the Hamas-Israel attacks.