Israeli official dodged critical questions on ATC

Listening to a powerful statesman dodge question after question during a radio interview is a frustrating experience — for the listener as well as the questioner. It is not anyone's definition of pleasant audio storytelling. But it can be great journalism.

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We received letters about one such interview on NPR. All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang interviewed the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations on the same day that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, charging him with crimes related to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

During the interview, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon made several exasperating claims, including, "First of all, there is no starvation in Gaza, period."

One audience member wanted to know why NPR would air that statement, given the evidence to the contrary. It's important to note that the declaration did not go unchecked; Chang intervened to offer specific numbers on aid problems. Another audience member offered praise for the host's attempts to get the ambassador to acknowledge the known reality in Gaza.

We questioned the executive producer of the show and the head of the booking team who arranged the interview for NPR. Read on to see how they arranged and conducted the interview and why they thought the audience needed to hear it.

Also this week, we spotlight a reporting package that explains the many implications of the ongoing revolution in Syria.

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Illustration by Carlos Carmonamedina

Israeli ambassador offered misleading statements on air

In the days after the U.S. presidential election, Ambassador Danon told the Times of Israel that Donald Trump's reelection would likely prompt the U.S. to put pressure on the International Criminal Court to end the investigation into Netanyahu. Two weeks later the court, which investigates international war crimes, defied that prediction and issued three arrest warrants: one for Netanyahu, one for his defense minister, and one for a Hamas military leader (who Israel claims they have already killed) accused of engineering the Oct. 7 terror attack.

That same day, Natalie Winston, the executive producer of bookings and special coverage, pitched ATC with the idea of interviewing Danon: "I thought it was particularly interesting because he thought this is going to take the air out of the case."

Winston's job is to book high-profile guests. She worked through Danon's representatives to line up the interview. ATC producers prepared Chang. It was recorded earlier in the day, then edited down to seven minutes before it aired that evening on ATC.

During the interview, we heard Chang repeatedly press Danon to answer specific questions, including about starvation, aid and civilian deaths. Rather than answering Chang's questions, however, Danon was intent on getting Israel's message across. (It's worth listening to the audio piece to hear exactly how this dynamic played out in both substance and tone.)

Chang starts by noting the arrest warrants and says that an "independent international panel of experts that tracks famine, says that northern Gaza is just days away from famine. It's been cut off by the Israeli military from the rest of Gaza. Do the IPC's findings add weight to these accusations?"

Rather than answer the question, Danon first criticizes the International Criminal Court, calling its decision to issue warrants "shameful." Danon then pushed back against the allegation: "We know that there is no starvation in Gaza today," he said. "Israel allowed aid to come into Gaza — into northern Gaza. Every day, hundreds of trucks are coming in."

Chang countered his answer with reports and specific numbers from aid groups working on the ground who say that Gaza needs 350 trucks of aid per day to support more than two million people.

She ultimately asked three times about aid, citing a letter from President Joe Biden to allow 350 trucks per day into Gaza. Danon denied that Israel is limiting aid trucks. He never said how many trucks a day get in.

This pattern repeated later in the interview when Chang asked three times, "Is the Israeli military using sniper drones in Gaza?" NPR had reported just the day before, on the Consider This podcast, that Israel was using a new weapon to shoot at civilians in Gaza.

Danon deflected, saying no one can blame Israel when it's "fighting terrorists who are using civilians as human shields."

Chang then interjected and asked Danon if he "cannot or will not" answer the question about the sniper drones.

"No, I cannot because I tell you that we will use — the fact that we have sophisticated weapons, it helps us to target and kill the terrorists," Danon said. "And that's what we are trying to do."

For anyone concerned about the grave conditions in Gaza, the interview was an exercise in frustration. But it was also revealing. In seven minutes, the interview showcased Israel's defiance of the international community's concerns about the conditions in Gaza and the allegations that Israel is disproportionately killing civilians.

In Danon's refusal to answer the direct questions after Chang persistently pressed him, we see Israel's position.

"It's important for audiences to hear what answers powerful people give when pressed on an issue," ATC executive producer Sami Yenigun said. "How someone does or does not answer can tell a story in itself."

Winston put it more succinctly: "The dodging is revealing."

Several times since Hamas invaded and terrorized Israel on Oct. 7, we've analyzed NPR's coverage, defending the focus on the suffering and death in Gaza as appropriate and proportional. We've heard from many critics that NPR doesn't give Israel the opportunity to explain its actions.

This interview gave NPR listeners a chance to hear how Israel responds directly to specific criticisms of its war against Hamas and the toll on the citizens of Gaza. Chang listened to Danon's answers and engaged him with attributed facts. She was well-prepared and pressed him appropriately and repeatedly on core issues. It's a compact and accurate capture of Israel's point of view. It helps us all see Israel's position more clearly. — Kelly McBride and Amaris Castillo

Illustration by Carlos Carmonamedina /

Syria explained

The news of the overthrow of Syria's government by rebel forces has been dramatic, and at times confusing for folks who don't follow Middle East politics closely. That's why we appreciated this explanatory package by national security correspondent Greg Myre, who describes Syria's relationship with several major players in the region and beyond. The accompanying map is a handy visualization. Myre's two-way interview with Morning Edition's Michel Martin further explained the intersecting relationships between the various groups in Syria, as well the ties to different factions in other countries. In a three-minute piece, this reporting educates news consumers about a complicated and shifting international story. — Kelly McBride 

The Office of the Public Editor is a team. Reporters Amaris Castillo and Nicole Slaughter Graham and copy editor Merrill Perlman make this newsletter possible. Illustrations are by Carlos Carmonamedina. We are still reading all of your messages on Facebook, X and from our inbox. As always, keep them coming.

Kelly McBride
NPR Public Editor
Chair, Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute

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