Hear from the U.S. Journalists Abducted from Gaza Aid Flotillas

Published by Defending Rights & Dissent at November 4, 2025

In this live webinar co-hosted by Freedom of the Press Foundation and Defending Rights & Dissent, we examined what it means for press freedom when journalists are punished for bearing witness. We heard directly from all three U.S. journalists who were detained after joining humanitarian flotillas bound for Gaza.

Panelists, who faced silence and inaction from their own government in the aftermath of their abduction, will share their experiences while detained and discuss what drove them to take this risk while so many reporters are self-censoring.

Featuring:

Alex Colston of Drop Site News
Emily Wilder of Jewish Currents
Noa Avishag Schnall, independent journalist

Moderator:

Chip Gibbons, policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent

Defending Rights & Dissent

Defending Rights & Dissent is guided by the Bill of Rights, which was adopted to limit the power of the state over individuals and to preserve basic human and individual rights for every person under U.S. jurisdiction or control, even in times of war or other national crises, and regardless of who holds elected power. In 2015, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee and the Defending Dissent Foundation agreed to merge to place both organizations and their respective supporters in an even stronger position to help restore constitutional rights eroded by executive agencies.

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