CNN’s bias toward Israel starts at the top

The Guardian published a long investigation documenting CNN’s bias toward Israel.

“This week, the Guardian published a long article documenting CNN’s bias toward Israel, notably internal rules for preparing reports that privilege the Israeli perspective (that its unending massacres and ethnic cleansing are justified by Hamas’s massacre of October 7)”

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It noted internal rules that privilege an Israeli perspective and justify Israel’s killings and ethnic cleansing by pointing to Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

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The author argues The Guardian failed to explain why CNN shows that bias and identifies religious ideology as the key reason.

The article says David Zaslav, the 64-year-old CEO of Warner Brothers/Discovery, is a Zionist who believes in the need for a Jewish state and, the article claims, has justified Zionist massacres of Palestinian civilians.

The article cites statements by Zaslav after October 7.

He issued a statement saying Israel experienced 'one of the deadliest [days] in Jewish history since the Holocaust'.

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He reportedly considered taking part in a $50 million publicity campaign to 'define Hamas to the American people as a terrorist organization'.

Variety reported he called Hamas’s actions 'unthinkable evil'.

The article quotes Zaslav praising CNN and TVN journalists.

It summarizes his 2019 comments to i24 News that he watches the movie Exodus every year and remembers the strength of the Haganah and the Irgun.

It also quotes him saying, 'I love Israel… I remember one Christmas with my whole family walking into the King David [Hotel in Jerusalem]…'.

The article accuses Zaslav of praising the Irgun and calls it a right-wing terrorist force.

“This week, the Guardian published a long article documenting CNN’s bias toward Israel, notably internal rules for preparing reports that privilege the Israeli perspective (that its unending massacres and ethnic cleansing are justified by Hamas’s massacre of October 7)”

Mondoweiss

It notes the Irgun's 1946 bombing of the King David Hotel, which the article says 'killed 91 people, including many civilians.'

The piece states that in 1948 the Irgun led terrorist operations against Palestinians, including 'the ethnic cleansing of Jaffa' and 'the massacre in the village of Deir Yassin.'

The article says Zionists salute these actions because they enabled the creation of Israel in May 1948.

The article cites Jeremy Ben-Ami of J Street saying of his father, who was a member of the Irgun, 'My father… was a terrorist.'

The article extends its critique to the broader establishment, citing Tom Nides (age 62), Biden’s ambassador to Israel until last year.

It notes his wife Virginia Moseley is an executive editor at CNN with 'iron command' over the newsroom.

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The article says Nides was a cheerleader for Israel and left Wells Fargo to speak up for Israel after the attacks.

It adds he worked with the Jewish Federations and appeared on CNN to justify Israeli actions.

The author concludes that Zaslav and Nides share an ideology in favor of a Jewish state on lands that others lived on first.

The author criticizes The Guardian for avoiding this angle out of fear that discussing the Israel lobby and Jewish presence in the establishment will foster antisemitism.