Drawing upon previous reports published by Misbar, which have exposed the role of Israeli lobbying groups in steering media coverage and the bias in their reports—often filled with misleading information and baseless accusations—this report sheds light on the methodology of a lobbying group called 'Honest Reporting.' Over the past year, this organization, along with others, has led extensive efforts to shape the language and media narrative to align with Israeli interests.
Honest Reporting describes itself as a non-governmental organization founded in 2000, dedicated to monitoring and analyzing international media coverage of news related to Israel. The organization claims its mission is to ensure truth, integrity, and fairness while combating ideological bias in the press and media that impacts Israel.
Although Honest Reporting claims to work on dispelling misinformation and has adopted credibility as its motto, Misbar's review indicates that the organization's actions do not align with this claim. This inconsistency becomes particularly evident when assessing the accuracy of many reports it produced while monitoring Western media coverage during the Gaza war and the recent Israeli aggression in Lebanon.
Misinformation, Baseless Claims, and Reports Justifying Violence
On November 8, 2023, a month after the Gaza war began, Gil Hoffman, the executive director of Honest Reporting, made unsubstantiated accusations, claiming that some Palestinian journalists who documented the Hamas attack on October 7 had prior knowledge of the assault.
He questioned how these journalists were able to send images of the October 7 attack to major media outlets, such as The New York Times and the Associated Press, implying that these outlets might also have had prior knowledge of the events.
In response, the major media outlets accused by Honest Reporting categorically denied having any prior knowledge of the attacks. Honest Reporting acknowledged that it had no evidence to support its claims, expressed satisfaction with the media's denial, and affirmed its acceptance of it. However, the organization did not admit to any wrongdoing or to having provided inaccurate information when it initially made the accusations.
Despite this implicit retraction, the organization's reports, along with a concurrent campaign by other lobbying groups, resulted in an escalation of attacks against Palestinian journalists, who were depicted as terrorists. This was particularly evident when Israeli officials, including former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, endorsed these statements, suggesting alleged complicity among the journalists in the attacks.
Israel has used these and other similar, unsubstantiated statements as a pretext to launch a major campaign of violence against journalists since October 7. This illustrates how unfounded allegations from an organization that claims to be neutral can be exploited to justify violence against civilians, including journalists.
Distorting the Truth: No Israeli Siege in Gaza
As part of its routine operations and in response to corrections and criticisms, Honest Reporting issued a critique to the American newspaper The Washington Post on July 8, 2024. In a firm tone that contradicted extensive reporting and clear facts, it asserted that Gaza had never been under an "Israeli siege" prior to the war. The organization advised The Washington Post to replace the term "siege" with "blockade," claiming that the blockade—rather than a siege—was implemented by Egypt and Israel to prevent Hamas from "developing its armed and terrorist infrastructure."
The organization has repeatedly sought to prevent major media outlets from using the term "siege" and to obscure its implications. On October 9, 2023, it criticized The Guardian for using the phrase "previous siege" to describe the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has persisted for 15 years.
Similarly, the organization criticized The New York Times in March 2024 for reporting that Israel had imposed a complete siege on food supplies during its war—a fact that Israeli officials had clearly stated at the beginning of the conflict. On August 24, 2024, the organization also called out Agence France-Presse for using the term "siege" in one of its news reports.
Labeling Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations as Terrorism and Violence
Similar to the efforts of the Anti-Defamation League in silencing anti-Israel voices—efforts previously reported by Misbar as based on incorrect data—Honest Reporting has recently resumed a prior campaign to portray pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Western capitals as violent. It suggests that the slogans chanted during these protests indicate terrorism and murder.
On October 6, the organization requested that the Los Angeles Times amend its news story by not describing the recent demonstrations in support of Palestine as peaceful. This request contradicted the facts and was based on the allegation that the demonstrations included the slogan "Long live the Intifada," which the organization claimed incites violence against Israelis. However, the organization did not clarify how it reached this conclusion or how it related to the assertion that the demonstrations were not peaceful.
In July 2024, the organization issued a sarcastic critique of The Times for referring to Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel. The organization argued that the newspaper should use alternative terms, such as Jerusalem, when referencing the capital.
Significant Impact on Media Coverage
Major media reports frequently mention Honest Reporting, indicating that the organization enjoys significant popularity, recognition, and influence. It is not merely a critical voice in media operations; it also shapes the coverage of many outlets. Numerous media organizations modify their headlines and content based on requests from Honest Reporting.
Recently, the organization thanked The Telegraph for correcting the wording of a story that had referred to the Israeli government by mentioning Tel Aviv as its capital. After expressing gratitude, Honest Reporting requested that the city’s name not be used again in future reports regarding the Israeli government. Similarly, The Independent responded positively to the organization's request to refrain from referring to Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel.
Israel Is the Victim and Is Simply Defending Itself
For many years, the organization has sought to portray Israel as a victim, pressuring media outlets to frame news in a way that suggests Israel is merely defending itself. It argues that Israel is not escalating violence and conflicts in the region and that its military campaigns are simply an exercise of its right to respond.
Recent reports indicate that Israel has intensified military escalation in the region, particularly concerning Iran, following its refusal to agree to a ceasefire deal in Gaza. This escalation coincided with the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, in Tehran, as well as Israeli operations, such as bombings of pager devices in Lebanon and the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah.
Although the Iranian response followed a series of Israeli military escalations that stalled ceasefire negotiations, it prompted Iran—according to statements from its officials—to strike Israel rather than adopt a moderate stance. This occurred despite receiving American assurances that it would not carry out attacks in exchange for finalizing the ceasefire deal, as stated by its president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Despite all this, Honest Reporting sought to alter the media narrative regarding the escalation in the Middle East in favor of Israel. It requested that the media portray Iran’s attacks as acts of aggression and terrorism rather than as responses to the escalation or part of the "conflict." Honest Reporting criticized several news outlets, including Bloomberg, which was instructed on October 6 not to describe the Iranian strikes as responses to Israeli escalation.
A Long Legacy of Criticism and Bias in Favor of Israel
Historically, the organization has faced continuous criticism from numerous media professionals and newspaper writers. Three months before the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza, a study conducted by the Study Hall Foundation indicated that Honest Reporting was attempting to shape public opinion and media discourse in favor of Israel, distorting public facts and preventing the use of terms such as "displacement" and "apartheid" when referring to Israel's practices.
The study also indicated that the organization endangers the lives of journalists, as its reports can lead to their dismissal from their workplaces due to their political opinions and criticism of Israel. Furthermore, the study highlighted that the organization is clearly accused of practicing double standards, focusing on monitoring the statements and activities of Palestinian journalists while turning a blind eye to Israeli journalists, including those with close ties to the Israeli military.
Silencing Dissent: The Organization’s Digital Tactics
It is worth noting that the organization is accused of leading extensive campaigns in collaboration with groups like Canary Mission, which monitors students, professors, and activists who support Palestine at American universities, accusing them of anti-Semitism. This approach mirrors its collaboration with organizations like CAMERA, another group dedicated to improving Israel's image in the media and pressuring outlets to alter their coverage.
The organization has openly pressured influential journalists for years, particularly those who review its reports and highlight potential gaps. For instance, it released numerous reports targeting Robert Fisk of The Independent after he published articles criticizing it. These reports sparked a widespread hate campaign against Fisk.
After the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published an article criticizing Israel for the high number of Palestinian civilian casualties and suggesting that the pattern of injuries indicated a routine targeting of children, the magazine faced intense public backlash. This backlash resembled organized digital campaigns, with approximately 500 people submitting criticisms through the magazine's website and around 1,000 direct messages sent to the editor.
These responses were not random; Carl Sabbagh, a writer for the magazine, noted that many were orchestrated by Honest Reporting to silence criticism of Israel. Sabbagh also pointed out that numerous letters contained insulting and racially charged language. The magazine characterized this type of organized campaign as a form of bullying or illegitimate pressure.
Recently, the organization launched a campaign to pressure the media to align their reporting with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and to reflect Israeli interests. It employed terminology previously used by media outlets in the aftermath of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's assassination, highlighting his role in fostering dialogue among various Lebanese factions during his political career. Honest Reporting contended that such descriptions glorified and enhanced Nasrallah’s image post-assassination and urged major newspapers to label him a terrorist.
Read More
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365 Days of War: How Misbar Exposed Israeli Misinformation on Gaza
