An NBA writer covering the Philadelphia 76ers for PhillyVoice.com was fired after expressing his outrage over a team social media post supporting Israel.
Jackson Frank responded to a post on the team’s account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The 76ers simply stated, “We stand with the people of Israel and join them in mourning the hundreds of innocent lives lost to terrorism at the hands of Hamas.”
Frank wrote and then deleted, “This post sucks! Solidarity with Palestine always.” Though it was erased, it was online and acquired by the New York Post.
Jackson Frank, who recently became the Sixers beat writer for PhillyVoice, was let go following a tweet showing "solidarity" with Palestine in response to the team's remarks about Israel.
“Mr. Frank is no longer employed by https://t.co/8HRAUM3hY7 as of today,”
(Via @nypost ) pic.twitter.com/3jyBSW0Aul
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 9, 2023
It is not wise to criticize the team you are writing for, especially if you have only been on the job for a month and have exactly zero credentials with the franchise. PhillyVoice.com was not amused.
In a statement to the Post, the outlet wrote, “Mr. Frank is no longer employed by PhillyVoice.com as of today. We stand with everyone who is absolutely outraged by the senseless attacks in Israel, by the loss of innocent lives and violence against civilians.”
Frank reportedly deleted his X account after being fired.
As he was doubtlessly well aware of, Hamas terrorists struck Israel on Saturday morning, hitting both military bases and civilians in their homes. Many hundreds were killed and dozens were taken as hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promptly issued a war declaration, something that the country had not done since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The Israeli leader vowed to eradicate Hamas from the Middle East.
At least 900 Israelis were reportedly killed in the terrorist attack, which was launched on the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah. Dozens are known to have been taken hostage.
Among those murdered were at least 260 mostly young people attending the Tribe of Nova music festival. Scores of Palestinian terrorists crossed the Gaza Strip border using paragliders and indiscriminately killed whole families in neighborhoods.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden updated that now 14 Americans are known to have been killed in the attack. He also confirmed officials “now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas.”
