Israel’s decision to strike Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, ending a fragile ceasefire after negotiations to release the hostages held by the Palestinian terrorist group had effectively collapsed, has reignited a debate over media coverage of the conflict as it enters a new phase of escalation. 

The New York Times, for instance, distributed a push notification on Monday morning that read, “A wave of Israeli airstrikes has killed more than 400 people, Gaza’s health ministry said, raising the prospect of a return to all-out war,” without specifying that the health ministry is run by Hamas or noting any reason that may have driven Israel to take action. 

Most notably, the widely read Beltway news outlet Politico is drawing particularly fierce criticism from an outspoken board member of its parent company, Axel Springer, the German publishing giant whose mission statement has long espoused support for Israel, among other so-called essentials reporters are expected to uphold in their coverage. 

Martin Varsavsky, a Jewish tech entrepreneur who is based in Madrid, Spain, took direct aim at Politico on Tuesday in an unusually critical social media comment about the site having run an article by the Associated Press emphasizing that Israel’s renewed airstrikes had, according to Hamas officials, killed “at least 200” Palestinians in Gaza. 

“I consider this article one-sided Hamas support,” Varsavsky, a longtime member of Axel Springer’s supervisory board, said on X. “It fails to mention that the airstrikes were aimed at eliminating top Hamas military and that Israel was successful at doing so. It also quotes casualty figures given by Hamas that are not believed to be accurate.”

In a follow-up post he has since deleted, he also alleged that “most journalists are woke and to the left of the general public,” claiming “management does not dare to fire them,” and agreeing with one follower who suggested “management is not doing its job.” He said he was “working on it” when asked by another follower if he could seek to address what he regards as Politico’s editorial shortcomings in its reporting on the war, but has not yet shared further details.

Varsavsky did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Politico’s own flagship Playbook newsletter on Monday led with the AP article, quoting the sentence, “The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza,” before Playbook author Jack Blanchard added his own assessment: “Expect plenty of fallout today.”

Varsavky’s unvarnished social media comments were the first to publicly surface simmering editorial tensions between Axel Springer and Politico, its flagship U.S. property, which Axel Springer acquired in 2021 for more than $1 billion amid a broader push into global markets.

Since then, Axel Springer has struggled to balance its long-standing commitment to the Jewish state, enshrined in a set of hallowed principles devised by its eponymous founder more than 50 years ago, as Politico has turned a distinctly critical eye on Israel in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks.

The news site has frequently challenged its parent company’s approach to the Jewish state by giving special prominence to detractors of Israel over pro-Israel voices or even neutral foreign policy experts, while publishing columns suggesting Israel is a human rights violator, among other sources of apparent disconnect between the two organizations.

Editorial staffers at Politico had reportedly voiced suspicion of its new owner’s corporate values after the sale had gone through, as Axel Springer’s CEO, Mathias Döpfner, a staunch supporter of Israel who has harshly criticized media coverage related to the Oct. 7 attacks, likened the company’s essentials to a sort of “constitution” and said “they apply to every employee.”

But while pro-Israel advocates have taken issue with Politico’s Middle East coverage, insisting that the company has built a flawed narrative to suggest there is waning support for Israel, Axel Springer has avoided publicly intervening in editorial decisions — in contrast with Varsavsky, whose previous remarks have defended the popular Washington politics site.

“Mathias is a radical centrist and that annoys people on the right and the left,” Varsavsky said in a social media post last year, referring to Döpfner. “If you want to understand more about his views, think of the views of our publications Business Insider and Politico: at the center.”

In a statement to Jewish Insider last March, a spokesperson for Axel Springer said that Politico’s “editorial independence” is “our first priority,” while adding that “independent, fair, critical journalism is not at odds with our essentials, which simply affirm the right of Israel to exist.”

Varsavsky’s new comments, however,  raised questions about whether his sentiments reflect the company’s own internal assessment of Politico or if he was speaking solely for himself.

Peter Huth, senior vice president and global head of communications and sustainability at Axel Springer, declined to address the matter. “Please understand that we are not going to comment,” he told JI in an email on Tuesday.

Brad Dayspring, Politico’s executive vice president of global communications and brand, also declined to comment on the posts. He said it was “important to note,” though, that the link Varsavsky referenced “is an AP wire story, not a Politico article or written by a Politico journalist.”

Varsavsky’s fellow board members, who have been more restrained in speaking publicly about editorial issues, did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Some recent editorial hires suggest that Axel Springer is more broadly working to bolster its commitment to its values, as Döpfner has vowed to double down on its support for Israel amid a resurgence of antisemitism in the U.S. as well as Europe.

This month, the company announced that it had launched what it called a global reporters network to “enrich the offerings” of Politico and other media properties owned by Axel Springer, which is based in Berlin. Among the company’s first hires were the journalists Jamie Kirchick and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

The company said in a statement that its network “will be expanded in the coming months” and will be helmed by a rotating crew of editors beginning with John Harris, the Politico chief, who called the initiative “an exciting development” and said it will “bring great additional value” for news consumers.

Döpfner did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Axel Springer’s editorial values have largely distinguished the company from other mainstream American media outlets. But some publications that have faced accusations of unbalanced Middle East coverage are also showing receptivity to addressing such criticism — indicating something of a nascent tonal shift within the industry.

The Washington Post, for instance, which has drawn backlash over its reporting on Israel and Gaza, came under renewed scrutiny last week over past social media comments by a Middle East reporter who had called Israel an illegal state while identifying as an anti-Zionist and signaling support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
Even as the Post had until recently been slow to acknowledge criticism of its Middle East coverage, a spokesperson told JI on Monday that the paper was “aware of the alleged social media posts” and is now “looking into” the matter.