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Corrections Are Not Enough: Washington Post Misquotes Israeli Expert, Then Inserts Hezbollah Propaganda
Hezbollah members hold flags marking Resistance and Liberation Day, in Kfar Kila near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, May 25, 2021. Photo: Reuters/Aziz Taher
Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, the founder and president of Alma — an independent research and education center focused on Israel’s security challenges along its northern border — has become a sought-after commentator amid Israel’s ongoing strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Following the elimination of the terrorist organization’s leader, Hasan Nasrallah, it’s no surprise that the international media have turned to her for insight.
However, it was extremely surprising to see comments in The Washington Post connected with Zehavi that implied the Galilee region in northern Israel is “disputed” territory.
After confirming with Zehavi, she clarified that she had never made any statement during her interview with Washington Post journalist Loveday Morris that could be interpreted in that way.
No, @washingtonpost, the Galilee region in Israel’s north is not “disputed.” It’s recognized sovereign Israeli territory.
Is there any part of the country that @LovedayM thinks is legitimate? https://t.co/mF6FZTcEvC pic.twitter.com/O6NTWi5rCT
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 29, 2024
Not to mention the fact that the Galilee is an undisputed sovereign region of Israel, and recognized by the entire international community.
Shortly after we called out the error on X (formerly Twitter), the Post quietly amended its text — but at the time, didn’t acknowledge any correction.
But instead of simply removing the word “disputed” from the article, Morris appeared to double down, attempting to justify or explain why the status of the Galilee region could be considered disputed:
After we called out @LovedayM for misquoting an Israeli expert, @washingtonpost replaced the misquote with bogus Hezbollah propaganda that was also not given as background context by @ZehaviAlma in her interview.
Is this what passes for journalism in the Washington Post? https://t.co/DTsBl3p0ZS pic.twitter.com/3M1W4BWzyY
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 29, 2024
By doing so, Morris continued to misrepresent Zehavi’s comments by inserting “context” or “background” that was never mentioned in the interview, and worse still, amplified blatant Hezbollah propaganda in the process.
The only reason to bring up the status of the Galilee is to indulge bogus Hezbollah talking points.
So where does this claim that seven Israeli villages belong to Lebanon even come from?
As the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs explains, the villages were originally on Lebanese territory until the 1923 demarcation agreements between the mandatory powers of Britain and France, which placed them inside Mandatory Palestine.
Even if one were to challenge borders drawn by colonial powers over a century ago, the Lebanese state itself accepted this demarcation in the 1949 armistice agreement with Israel, and officially relinquished any claim to the seven villages, which remained under Israeli sovereignty.
Once again, we called out The Washington Post on X and, once again, a change was made. We also learned that Zehavi herself had complained to Morris. This time, an effort was clearly made to separate Zehavi’s comments from the context added by Morris.
However, at this point in time, the Post still chose to platform Hezbollah’s false claims.
Morris is certainly right about one thing: Hezbollah seeks Israel’s destruction. And that, like the ideology that drives Hezbollah’s masters in Tehran and its allies in Hamas, is the true context behind the rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon — not seven Israeli villages in the Galilee.
Later, as a result of a complaint by Zehavi, the Post finally issued a public correction:
While the article has resolved the incorrect attribution to Zehavi, it is utterly appalling that The Washington Post states that baseless Hezbollah propaganda is the “context” that was missing when Loveday Morris decided to make the completely false claim that the Galilee region is “disputed.”
It’s simply not good enough.
The author is the Editorial Director of HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Corrections Are Not Enough: Washington Post Misquotes Israeli Expert, Then Inserts Hezbollah Propaganda first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.