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The Times refuses to publish Nobel Prize winner's ad condemning Hamas' Gazan 'human sacrifice'

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

August 8, 2014 | 3 min read

The Times has been criticised for censoring free speech after it refused to publish an ad accusing Hamas of using human shields in the Gaza conflict.

The Times allegedly said the ad was too controversial

The ad, which reads “Jews rejected human sacrifice 3,500 years ago, now it’s Hamas’ turn” was written by Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel and American orthodox rabbi, Shmuley Boteach.

The New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have already published the letter and the Guardian has confirmed it will publish the ad, which claims Hamas is hiding behind civilians, on Monday.

This is despite Jeremy Bowen, the BBC Middle East editor, saying: "I saw no evidence during my week in Gaza of Israel's accusation that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields."

This comes after both Sky and the BBC yesterday admitted they would free up airtime for a Gaza humanitarian aid group to air an appeal.

The ad was paid for by the ‘This World: The Values Network’, an organisation founded by rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who told the New York Observer: “At a time when Israel is fighting for its very existence against the genocidal terrorists of Hamas, the British media, already infamously skewed against Israel, refuses a paid ad that every major American outlet... was proud to run as a full page ad."

"I am shocked that the Times would engage in censorship of the worst kind to cater to the bigotry [of Hamas]".

This comes after Israel's military Twitter channel posted an inflammatory image of Westminster under rocket attack last month.

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