A political commentator was fired from The Hill, days after she rolled her eyes during an interview with the sister of an Israeli kidnap victim on October 7 by Hamas. "It finally happened. The Hill has fired me," Briahna Joy Gray wrote on X Thursday confirming her firing.
"There should be no doubt that @RisingTheHill has a clear pattern of suppressing speech — particularly when it's critical of the state of Israel." A spokesperson for the outlet later confirmed to The New York Post that she was no longer employed at The Hill. In a follow-up tweet, Gray indicated that her firing was nothing but "clearly part of a coordinated effort."
Fired for Disrespecting Victim's Family
When contacted by The New York Post on Thursday night, Gray stated she had nothing else to say. In an interview on Tuesday, Gray — who served as Sen. Bernie Sanders' press secretary during the 2020 campaign — was slammed for the way she handled Yarden Gonen, the sister of Romi Gonen, who Hamas kidnaped on October 7.
Video footage shows Gray rolling her eyes and abruptly ending the conversation after Yarden Gonen told her that she hoped she believed female victims who claim Hamas terrorists sexually abused them.
"I really hope that you, specifically, will believe women when they say that they got hurt," Gonen said.
Gray sighs, seemingly rolls her eyes, and says, "All right, thanks for joining. Stick around," while Gonen is still attempting to speak.
Romi Gonen, 23, called her mother while she was in a car fleeing the Nova Music Festival on October 7, when Hamas militants ambushed her.
Her best friend Gaya Halifa, 24, lay dying in front of her.
Yarden Gonen told The Hill that the last she had heard about her sister was during the November ceasefire deal, when some released hostages shared some "horrifying things" they had experienced.
Not Understanding the Pulse of the Situation
The released hostages told her that they saw Romi on October 7 being dragged by her hair with a wounded arm. At one point, she was knocked unconscious after a militant struck her with his weapon.
"This is how you treat people? This is how you treat people?" Yarden asked on the program.
"And this is only the things that happened to my little sister on Oct. 7, and from then, we don't know what else."
Gonen said she didn't want to discuss politics when Gray pressed her about the situation in Israel, emphasizing that she was there solely to tell her sister's story.
When asked if she believed Netanyahu was prioritizing his political ambitions over the lives of hostages, she responded that it was not her role to comment on such matters.
"I am here to talk about my sister; please, help me spread her story. Help me make people understand what she is going through as a woman in 2024," she said,
Gray's behavior during the interview angered viewers online as the video spread on social media.
Hen Mazzig, founder of the Tel Aviv Institute, tweeted, "The Hill's @briebriejoy rolling her eyes and sighing after Yarden Gonen, sister of a hostage in Gaza, asking her to believe rape victims.
"No low this person won't sink to, truly disgusting," he added.
