|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Edited by: Fern Sidman
CBS News has reportedly instructed its staff to avoid referring to Jerusalem as being part of Israel, amid growing internal pressures regarding the network’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to a report in The New York Post, an email sent in late August by Mark Memmott, CBS News’ senior director of standards, included a list of terms for journalists to be cautious with when reporting on the war in Gaza. One of the key terms highlighted was “Jerusalem,” with Memmott advising staff, “Do not refer to it as being in Israel.”
Memmott’s email, as cited by The New York Post, acknowledged the political complexity surrounding Jerusalem’s status, even noting that the U.S. Embassy is located in the city and that the Trump administration had officially recognized it as Israel’s capital. However, Memmott emphasized that “its status is disputed,” adding, “The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” He also highlighted the contrasting claims over the city, with Israel regarding it as its “eternal and undivided” capital, while Palestinians consider East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Despite these political recognitions, The New York Post reported that Memmott’s memo instructed CBS journalists not to acknowledge that Jerusalem is part of Israel. This directive stands in contrast to U.S. policy developments over recent decades. In 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Relocation Act, officially recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This was further solidified in 2017 when then-President Donald Trump formally acknowledged the holy city as Israel’s capital, a move that garnered widespread attention and controversy. Yet, as The New York Post noted, CBS News has opted for a cautious editorial stance, which avoids referring to Jerusalem’s inclusion within Israel altogether.
CBS News has not commented publicly on this internal guidance, and the memo has reportedly stirred tensions within the network. According to the report in The New York Post, the controversy intensified after CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil conducted a pointed interview with journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates about his anti-Israel book, The Message. The interview sparked internal debates and further highlighted the challenges CBS News faces in navigating the highly sensitive issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to The New York Post report, the incident began during a segment on CBS where Dokoupil, who is a convert to Judaism, confronted Coates about the content of his book The Message, which criticizes Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Dokoupil, whose ex-wife and children reside in Israel, did not hold back in his line of questioning, calling the book’s stance on Israel extreme. “This book would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist,” Dokoupil remarked, as was reported by The New York Post.
Coates argued in the interview that Israel’s policies toward Palestinians were deeply troubling, likening their situation to that of Black people in the United States and Africa. In his book, Coates goes as far as labeling Israel’s governance over the territories it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War as “apartheid,” a comparison that has been widely debated, as per the information provided in The New York Post report. Dokoupil pushed back on this characterization, asking Coates why he failed to acknowledge Israel’s precarious security situation. “Why leave out that Israel is surrounded by countries that want to eliminate it? Why leave out that Israel deals with terror groups that want to eliminate it?” Dokoupil challenged, as quoted by The New York Post.
The tough exchange reportedly did not sit well with CBS executives, who later reprimanded Dokoupil for his hard-hitting approach during the interview. According to The New York Post, network brass believed the questions may have crossed a line, particularly given the sensitivity surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following the incident, Dokoupil addressed his colleagues in an emotional meeting on Tuesday, apologizing for placing them in a difficult position. “I regret putting you in this situation, especially fellow journalists who are overseas and in danger,” Dokoupil reportedly said during the tearful gathering.
However, the incident has exposed deeper frustrations within CBS, particularly regarding how the network addresses Jewish issues. One CBS insider told The New York Post that the controversy surrounding Dokoupil has revealed a double standard in the newsroom. “There is a huge difference between how all ethnic or minority groups are treated and how Jews and Jewish issues are treated,” the employee said. The insider added, “The rule of thumb is: If you are Jewish and you are interested in reporting on Jews or Jewish issues, that’s a ‘hold on’ or a ‘no,’ whereas for any other group it would be an enthusiastic ‘yes.’” This comment sheds light on longstanding concerns about bias and representation when it comes to Jewish-related topics in the media.
The incident with Dokoupil also echoes broader debates about journalistic neutrality and the responsibility of news organizations to provide balanced reporting, particularly on contentious global issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dokoupil’s background and personal connection to Israel, alongside his sharp questioning, appear to have placed him at the center of this complex and highly charged debate. As The New York Post points out, this controversy comes at a time when media outlets are increasingly scrutinized for their handling of sensitive political issues, and CBS’s internal handling of the situation will likely be watched closely.
