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Did Popular NPR Podcast Break Its Own Journalistic Standards with Anti-Israel Episode?
Jewish Americans and supporters of Israel gather at the National Mall in Washington, DC on Nov. 14, 2023 for the “March for Israel” rally. Photo: Dion J. Pierre/The Algemeiner
On October 15, 2025, NPR’s popular Code Switch podcast aired a 45-minute program entitled, “What does Israel mean to American Jews?”
But anyone hoping to gain an insight into how different parts of the American Jewish community feel about the Jewish State, would have been left sorely disappointed.
Because, contrary to how it was presented, this was not a look at the relationship between American Jews and Israel, from staunch Zionists to anti-Zionists.
Rather, it was an invitation to platform fringe voices within the Jewish community that are either highly critical of Israeli actions or oppose the existence of the Jewish State altogether.
It should be noted that much of the content was lifted verbatim from an April 2024 Code Switch episode that was aptly titled “As American Jews speak out on Israel, some see rifts in their communities.” Unlike this most recent episode, its 2024 predecessor did not purport to provide its audience with a general understanding of the relationship between American Jewry and the State of Israel.
NPR, of course, found a token anti-Zionist Jew and invented a split in US Jewry over Israel. https://t.co/YTLygvVd7x
— Howard Lovy (@Howard_Lovy) October 15, 2025
The tone of this latest piece is set early on by one of the podcast’s hosts, Leah Donnella, who tells her co-host that, in the days following October 7, all of her interviewees were “devastated” by what Israel was doing in Gaza and that they all felt somewhat “implicated” in it.
This is truly astonishing. That the response to October 7 (which, by the way, is mentioned but never explained as a large-scale massacre of Israelis by a Palestinian terror group) by all of Donnella’s interviewees was to entrench their criticism of Israel signifies how fringe their voices are within the wider American Jewish community. Because the feelings of the vast majority of the American Jewish community in the immediate aftermath of October 7 were characterized by “horror, shock, and disbelief.”
Aside from the fringe Jewish American voices that are platformed by NPR during the first part of this podcast episode, the second half is largely dedicated to an interview with Marjorie Feld, a university professor who recently wrote a book on the history of the anti-Zionist movement within the American Jewish community.
Feld’s inclusion in this episode is meant to provide an academic context to the anti-Israel positions put forward by those who were interviewed in its first half.
However, while host Leah Donnella does mention in passing that Feld is “openly critical of Israel,” she never informs her audience that Feld, appearing as an impartial academic with an expertise in the topic, is actually an anti-Zionist activist and serves on the Academic Advisory Council of Jewish Voice for Peace, a virulently anti-Israel organization.
This failure to inform is a breach of basic journalistic standards of transparency and impartiality.
Feld’s anti-Israel partisanship would also explain why her academic contextualization fails to mention the 2,000-year connection between Jews in the Diaspora (including the United States) and the Land of Israel, erasing those historic ties while promoting Palestinian Arabs as the land’s “native” population.
Here’s exactly why Feld’s JVP affiliation matters and why readers should be informed that they are not getting the views of an “expert” but of an ideologue. https://t.co/lxL7bCyQSw
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 23, 2024
These were not the only journalistic standards that were breached by this latest Code Switch episode. By only profiling those on the fringes of the Jewish community who are extremely critical of Israel, its actions, and Zionism in general, this episode not only failed to live up to its title, but it also completely failed to provide a proper and accurate answer to the question it posited.
NPR has not only breached general journalistic principles, but it has also violated some of the very standards that NPR professes to abide by. These include accuracy, fairness, and completeness. None of the opinions put forward by any of the interviewees were “rigorously challenged,” no opposing viewpoints were presented, and the story of American Jewry and Israel was not told “comprehensively.”
If the hosts of Code Switch wanted to present an honest picture of how American Jews feel about Israel, they could have referenced several surveys that have been published throughout the two years of war. Even while some American Jews have become more critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the majority of the Jewish community still feel an emotional connection to Israel. This positive feeling toward the Jewish State and concern for its future becomes even more pronounced the more one is involved in the Jewish community.
This breach of standards when it comes to reporting on Israel is nothing new for NPR. From the first days of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, HonestReporting has continually exposed bias and misinformation within NPR’s coverage.
It’s no secret that NPR is in financial difficulties. Why should anyone contribute to a media organization that tosses its own journalistic principles into the wind over Israel, continuously providing a disservice to its loyal listeners and readers?
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
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Nigeria Seeks French Help to Combat Insecurity, Macron Says
French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Sept. 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Pool
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has sought more help from France to fight widespread violence in the north of the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, weeks after the United States threatened to intervene to protect Nigeria’s Christians.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has witnessed an upsurge in attacks in volatile northern areas in the past month, including mass kidnappings from schools and a church.
US President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of possible military action in Nigeria, accusing it of mistreating Christians. The government says the allegations misrepresent a complex security situation in which armed groups target both faith groups.
Macron said he had a phone call with Tinubu on Sunday, where he conveyed France’s support to Nigeria as it grapples with several security challenges, “particularly the terrorist threat in the North.”
“At his request, we will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations. We call on all our partners to step up their engagement,” Macron said in a post on X.
Macron did not say what help would be offered by France, which has withdrawn its troops from West and Central Africa and plans to focus on training, intelligence sharing and responding to requests from countries for assistance.
Nigeria is grappling with a long-running Islamist insurgency in the northeast, armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest and deadly clashes between largely Muslim cattle herders and mostly Christian farmers in the central parts of the country, stretching its security forces.
Washington said last month that it was considering actions such as sanctions and Pentagon engagement on counterterrorism as part of a plan to compel Nigeria to better protect its Christian communities.
The Nigerian government has said it welcomes help to fight insecurity as long as its sovereignty is respected. France has previously supported efforts to curtail the actions of armed groups, the US has shared intelligence and sold arms, including fighter jets, and Britain has trained Nigerian troops.
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Netanyahu Says He Will Not Quit Politics if He Receives a Pardon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Iron Swords War on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem on Oct. 16, 2025. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/POOL/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would not retire from politics if he receives a pardon from the country’s president in his years-long corruption trial.
Asked by a reporter if planned on retiring from political life if he receives a pardon, Netanyahu replied: “no”.
Netanyahu last month asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon, with lawyers for the prime minister arguing that frequent court appearances were hindering Netanyahu’s ability to govern and that a pardon would be good for the country.
Pardons in Israel have typically been granted only after legal proceedings have concluded and the accused has been convicted. There is no precedent for issuing a pardon mid-trial.
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in response to the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and his lawyers have said that the prime minister still believes the legal proceedings, if concluded, would result in a complete acquittal.
US President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog, before Netanyahu made his request, urging the Israeli president to consider granting the prime minister a pardon.
Some Israeli opposition politicians have argued that any pardon should be conditional on Netanyahu retiring from politics and admitting guilt. Others have said the prime minister must first call national elections, which are due by October 2026.
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Report: Washington Hosts Trilateral Talks Between Israel and Qatar After Doha Strike
A Qatari flag is seen at a park near the Doha Corniche, in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Ibraheem al Omari.
i24 News – The United States, Israel, and Qatar convened a high-level trilateral meeting in New York on Sunday aimed at restoring strained relations following a controversial Israeli strike in Doha, Axios reports.
The meeting marks the highest-level engagement between the three nations since Qatar helped mediate the ceasefire that ended the war in Gaza. The talks coincide with the Trump administration’s plans to announce a new phase of the Gaza peace initiative.
The meeting is being chaired by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, with Israel represented by Mossad chief David Barnea and a senior Qatari official also participating, according to sources cited by Axios.
Tensions between the countries escalated after Israeli jets struck Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9. While the top Hamas figures survived, a Qatari security guard was killed, prompting Qatar to temporarily step back from its mediating role. The incident drew widespread Arab criticism of Israel and pressure on the United States to intervene. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later apologized to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at President Trump’s urging, allowing Qatar to resume its mediation role, though mistrust has persisted.
The New York talks are part of a US-proposed trilateral framework designed to improve coordination, resolve disputes, and strengthen joint security efforts. Sources indicate that Netanyahu is expected to raise concerns over Qatar’s alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood, critical coverage of Israel by Al Jazeera, and Qatari influence on American university campuses.
Despite these issues, the core focus of the discussions is expected to be the implementation of the Gaza peace agreement, including the disarmament of Hamas — a key element of the second phase of the plan.