Some newspapers compromise their independence by getting too cozy with the organizations they're supposed to cover objectively. The Jerusalem Post has taken this failure to spectacular new heights.
This is not a defense of The New York Times, which has its own journalistic failures. Rather, this concerns maintaining basic standards that any publication claiming to serve Israel's interests must uphold. Those who genuinely care about Israel understand that truth-telling, not propaganda, serves the nation's long-term interests.
Here we have a publication that dares critique The New York Times for journalistic malpractice while simultaneously taking money from ZAKA, whose volunteers fabricated grotesque lies about October 7th. Not content with merely promoting these fabrications, the Jerusalem Post has elevated ZAKA to hero status, hosting lavish galas and publishing fawning promotional content.
ZAKA volunteers invented wholesale fantasies including the alleged cutting of a baby from its mother's womb and children tied together in macabre arrangements. Perhaps these were honest mistakes when first stated in trauma's immediate aftermath—but these lies were then repeated for months, transforming into widespread misinformation, often accompanied by fundraising pitches. When pressed by Israeli media outlets that actually practice journalism, these stories crumbled instantly.
The vast majority of ZAKA volunteers perform sacred work under harrowing circumstances and deserve admiration. But this makes the fabrications by a few individuals all the more damaging to Israel's credibility on the world stage.
The Jerusalem Post's response has been celebration, not contrition. In May 2025, months after these fabrications were debunked, the Post hosted a New York gala lionizing ZAKA. The publication praised ZAKA volunteers who "identified, retrieved, and honored every victim, quietly, relentlessly, with dignity"—a description that sits somewhat uncomfortably alongside the documented fabrications.
The entanglement runs deeper. The Post entered into "collaboration" with ZAKA, publishing promotional pieces explicitly labeled "Written in collaboration with ZAKA"—a confession of editorial corruption that belongs in journalism ethics textbooks. This financial entanglement transforms the Jerusalem Post from a news organization into a propaganda outlet masquerading as journalism.
The Post continues promoting the very individuals who fabricated these stories. Even now, the Jerusalem Post features Yossi Landau—the ZAKA volunteer specifically identified as having "disseminated two horror stories about rape"—on their Instagram account, inviting followers to "Listen to Yossi Landau." This isn't merely failing to apologize; it's actively doubling down on promoting discredited sources while lecturing others about journalistic standards.
Perhaps most tellingly, when Haaretz published a devastating investigation revealing that millions of dollars donated to ZAKA had disappeared according to an internal audit, the Jerusalem Post remained conspicuously silent. Here was a major story about financial irregularities at the very organization they had been promoting, yet their editorial judgment deemed it unworthy of coverage.
The irony reaches its peak with the Jerusalem Post's lengthy critique of the New York Times' correction practices, demanding that corrections receive "amplification equal to the falsehood it replaces," while the publication ignores ZAKA's fabricated stories and Friends of the IDF, which falsely claimed to be named "#2 charity" by the Jerusalem Post itself. This "award" was actually paid "special content"—essentially an advertisement—and FIDF only removed the false claim after being publicly exposed. The Post's selective outrage reveals the hollowness of its journalistic principles.
When publications abandon editorial independence, they poison public discourse by presenting propaganda as news and financial relationships as editorial judgment. The Jerusalem Post's continued partnership with ZAKA harms Israel's credibility on the world stage.
One must wonder: how does the Jerusalem Post imagine this strategy serves Israel's interests? How can they believe that compromising their editorial independence with discredited sources enhances their credibility when critiquing other publications? In what universe does hosting fundraising galas for organizations whose volunteers fabricated stories strengthen their position as guardians of journalistic truth? The Post's approach seems designed to undermine the very cause they claim to champion.
