The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York‑based organisation founded in 1981 to advocate for journalists worldwide, has faced renewed scrutiny after its board voted overwhelmingly – 17 to 1 – to keep a definition that treats individuals employed by groups linked to militants as journalists. The sole dissenting vote came from a representative of Fox News.
Allegations of anti‑Israel sentiment among staff
Media‑monitoring organisation HonestReporting has reported that at least six CPJ employees have publicly expressed anti‑Israel positions. These include support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and statements describing Israel’s actions as genocide.
One researcher, Rama Sabanekh, who focuses on Levant affairs, authored a 2017 document endorsing BDS and calling for violent resistance against what he termed a Zionist occupation. He was also involved in organising a 2016 demonstration at University College London that resulted in police intervention and the temporary confinement of Jewish students.
Yasmine Mosimann, a specialist editor for the Middle East and North Africa, has endorsed the BDS movement and supported a student vote at McGill University that favoured anti‑Israel boycotts. She has contributed articles to the McGill Daily discussing Palestinian perspectives and state violence in Palestine.
Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, has collaborated with individuals linked to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. She described a Palestinian individual killed while attempting to seize an Israeli soldier’s weapon as a martyr and characterised Israel’s actions as industrial‑scale mass killing and literal genocide.
Chief executive Jodie Ginsberg shared a social‑media post from a person later identified as a Hamas squad leader and did not delete or correct the post. Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, CPJ’s chief global affairs officer, highlighted a New York Times columnist’s article alleging Israeli soldiers raped Palestinian journalists, adding a caption that framed the piece as factual journalism.
Board members and external criticism
The Free Beacon has reported that board members Lydia Polgreen and Maria Ressa have demonstrated strong anti‑Israel bias. Following a dispute over the Free Beacon’s reporting, anti‑Israel biotech heiress Nika Soon‑Shiong was removed from the CPJ board.
Jacki Alexander, chief executive of HonestReporting, has suggested that the evidence concerning CPJ staff undermines the organisation’s credibility as a source for anti‑Israel reporting, arguing that CPJ appears to be neglecting its duty to protect journalists in favour of promoting an anti‑Israel narrative.
When approached for comment on the allegations, CPJ did not provide a response. The organisation is currently conducting a review of its records of journalists killed in the Israel‑Gaza conflict since 2023, a process that may involve staff members who have previously expressed strong anti‑Israel viewpoints.