CNN Drops Freelancer Adeel Raja Over Pro-Hitler, Anti-Semitic Tweets
CNN has dropped freelance contributor Adeel Raja after it was revealed that he posted a series of anti-Semitic comments on social media and praised the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on a number of occasions.
The Islamabad-based journalist on Sunday tweeted that "the world today needs a Hitler," and quickly removed the post when it sparked backlash.
He has previously declared his support for the German national football team because of "what Hitler did with Jews."
"The only reason I am supporting Germany in the finals is - Hitler was a German and he did good with those jews!" Raja posted ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina.
In a separate post around that time, Raja also said: "My support for Germany is due to what Hitler did with Jews!"
The freelancer presented himself as a CNN contributor and had a byline on the network's website as recently as September last year. His first CNN byline is dated January 2, 2014—several months before his anti-Semitic tweets during the Fifa World Cup.
Mediaite reported last night that Raja has since removed "Freelance Contributor at CNN" from his Twitter bio. However, he still has CNN listed among other past employers and clients on his LinkedIn profile. Newsweek has contacted CNN for further comment.
In a statement obtained by the Washington Examiner, CNN said that Raja would not be working with the network again "in any capacity," and clarified that he had never been an employee.
"Adeel Raja has never been a CNN employee. As a freelancer, his reporting contributed to some newsgathering efforts from Islamabad," CNN spokesman Matt Dornic told the Examiner.
"However, in light of these abhorrent statements, he will not be working with CNN again in any capacity."
As well as posting praise for Hitler, Raja repeatedly tweeted about the Israel-Palestinian conflict last week and associated all Jews with the actions of the Israeli government—another anti-Semitic trope.
"What the Jews are doing in Palestine is similar to what Indian Hindus are doing in Occupied Kashmir," the ex-CNN freelancer tweeted. "Same tactics."
President Joe Biden spoke with the Israeli and Palestinian authorities over the weekend as violence continued. Reuters reported that the latest Israeli airstrike on the territory killed 42 Palestinians.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the bombing of the Gaza Strip would continue at "full force," and added that the country wanted to "levy a heavy price" on the Hamas militant group after its rocket attacks on Israel.
