CBS Editor Bari Weiss Lets Netanyahu Select His 60 Minutes Interviewer

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was given an unusual choice for his 60 Minutes interview on Sunday: he could select his own interviewer. According to The New York Post, CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss arranged the interview and allowed Netanyahu to choose between two CBS correspondents—Lesley Stahl, a longtime 60 Minutes reporter, or Major Garrett, the network’s chief Washington correspondent.

Netanyahu ultimately selected Garrett, who does not work for 60 Minutes. The decision has raised questions, as Stahl had reportedly spent months attempting to secure the interview with Netanyahu before Weiss intervened.

“Bari did what she had to do to secure the interview,” an unnamed source told The Post. “Bibi’s office picked Major over Stahl.”

Controversy Surrounds Bari Weiss’s Editorial Decisions

Since becoming CBS Editor-in-Chief, Weiss has taken a hands-on approach to programming and journalism decisions. Her interventions have drawn criticism from within the network:

• 2023: Weiss removed a story about Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador’s CECOT. The journalist behind the report, Sharyn Alfonsi, was later let go.
• June 2024: Weiss made last-minute edits to a CBS Sunday Morning segment on Israeli archaeological digs in the West Bank. Cultural heritage researcher Zaid Azhari later stated his interview was “selectively edited to falsely portray me as someone who erases Jewish history.”

Critics argue that Weiss’s editorial decisions prioritize ideology over journalistic integrity, with her pro-Israel and pro-Trump views shaping CBS’s coverage. The alignment between the White House, the Israeli government, and Weiss’s editorial direction has further fueled debate.