The FBI has raided the house of an American journalist over her pro-Palestine work amid the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, a move seen as part of a broader pattern of opposing voices that shed light on the Gaza genocide and US backing of Israel.
Alison Weir, an American journalist researching the Palestinian-Israeli issue for more than 20 years, in a post on X on Monday said that recently FBI agents have been making unexpected visits to her house, asking about a person unfamiliar to her.
Weir revealed that the FBI's interest was sparked by her past interviews with Iran's English-language TV channel Press TV, which has interviewed her on various occasions over the years.
“During my 20+ years writing and speaking about Palestine, I have taken as many opportunities as humanly possible to get the facts out via any traditional and alternative, domestic and international media outlets available. I don't attempt to vet media outlets and try to reach as many audiences in the US and around the world as I can with the facts about Palestine,” she wrote.
FBI agents suddenly showed up at my home recently. They asked me about a person whose name I didn't recognize. I asked to have a family member present and ascertained from the agents that one of their offices had asked them to check in with certain people in regard to something…
— Alison Weir (@alisonweir) November 18, 2024
The American activist further noted that it has come to light that other activists with a shared dedication to advocating for a just peace in Palestine and even Jewish activists have also been subject to similar visits by the FBI.
“I understand the agency has been weaponized in the past to try to silence groups and people that some members of government oppose,” Weir added.
The executive director of the think tank If Americans Knew, which provides information on the historical war on Palestine, hinted at a potential agenda to stifle dissent and silence voices critical of the US policies supporting Israel by linking them to Iran.
“It would appear someone is now trying to set the stage to silence dissent on Israel-Palestine in the United States by trumping up connections with Iran," she said.
The FBI's investigation into individuals linked to Press TV has sparked alarm among advocates for Palestinian rights, highlighting a growing debate over the limits of dissent and the implications of US government oversight on those exercising their free speech rights.
As the narrative unfolds, questions arise about the implications of such investigations on freedom of expression and activism in the United States.
In September, the United States Department of the Treasury added Press TV to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)'s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.
The US government has enacted stringent sanctions against the Tehran-based news channel, which has been on air since 2007. Operating under the slogan "The Voice of the Voiceless," Press TV aims to highlight significant regional and global issues that are often overlooked or misrepresented by mainstream media.
Observers say the US government's move to pull the plug on Press TV is part of Washington’s attempts to silence Iranian media because they "debunk US lies."