The News and Documentary Emmy Awards organizers are standing firm behind the nomination of Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda, despite a firestorm of criticism from over 150 celebrities and industry power players demanding her removal from the nominee list.
Owda, just 25 years old, earned a nomination for Outstanding Hard News Feature Story for her gripping documentary, “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive,” produced with AJ+, an Al Jazeera affiliate. The film paints a raw, unfiltered picture of her family’s harrowing escape from the relentless bombardment in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. But this powerful piece of journalism has put her in the crosshairs of the Israeli lobby.
The controversy? Owda is being accused of ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group labeled as a terrorist organization by the US, Japan, and the EU. These allegations were spearheaded by Creative Community for Peace, a Jewish non-profit on a mission to expose what they describe as rising antisemitism in the entertainment industry and to rally support against the cultural boycott of Israel.
Heavyweight figures like Debra Messing, Selma Blair, former Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing, WME’s Rick Rosen, billionaire Haim Saban, and top-tier entertainment manager Michael Rotenberg have all signed a letter demanding that her nomination be yanked. But NATAS CEO Adam Sharp isn’t backing down. He made it clear that the organization found no evidence to support the claims tying Owda to the PFLP.
So, Who Is Bisan Owda?
Bisan Owda is a force to be reckoned with. Reporting from the frontlines of Gaza since the conflict exploded, she’s been shining a light on the brutal humanitarian crisis unfolding there. The death toll has surpassed 40,000, with women and children making up the majority of the casualties.
While other journalists, like New York Times photographer Motaz Azaiza and Al Jazeera’s Wael Al Dahdouh, have fled after losing loved ones, Owda stays put, living in a tent. Her resilience is a testament to her unshakable commitment to telling the stories that need to be told.
Her nominated documentary takes its title from her signature opening line: “Hello, it’s Bisan from Gaza, and I’m still alive.” Through her lens, the world sees the human side of Gaza’s agony, a place where survival is an everyday battle against severe Israeli blockades that choke off basic necessities.
Owda and AJ+ have already bagged a Peabody Award for their hard-hitting coverage of the conflict’s devastating impact on Gaza’s civilians. Beyond her journalism, Owda is an active participant in local and international initiatives that empower women and youth, tackle climate change, and defend human rights.
In the face of powerful opposition, Bisan Owda’s voice remains unshaken, continuing to broadcast the brutal truths of life in Gaza to the world.