CBS News Chief Bari Weiss Gave Netanyahu Choice of Interviewer to Secure ‘60 Minutes’ Sit-Down
CBS News chief Bari Weiss reportedly granted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the unprecedented ability to select his own interviewer for Sunday night’s “60 Minutes” broadcast — a move that allowed Netanyahu’s team to bypass veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl after she had spent months pursuing the interview .
According to sources speaking to the New York Post, Weiss personally booked the high-profile interview with Netanyahu — his first major US broadcast interview since the Iran war began — and then gave the prime minister’s office a choice between two CBS journalists: legendary “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl or chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett .
Netanyahu’s team chose Garrett, a respected White House correspondent who is not a regular “60 Minutes” contributor, over Stahl, who has been a staple of the program since 1991 .
“Bari did what she had to do to secure the interview. Bibi’s office picked Major over Stahl.”
— Source cited by New York Post
🎤 The Backstory: A Months-Long Pursuit — and a Bypass
Stahl had reportedly been “doggedly” pursuing an on-camera interview with Netanyahu for months . The veteran journalist, who turns 85 this year, has covered Israeli prime ministers for decades, including previous sit-downs with Netanyahu himself .
But when Weiss personally took over the booking, the dynamic shifted abruptly. According to Status newsletter, Weiss gave Netanyahu’s team veto power over the interviewer — a rare concession that stunned staffers who saw Stahl as the natural choice for such a major geopolitical interview .
Weiss, a controversial media figure who took over CBS News in late 2025 after the Paramount-Skydance acquisition of her online outlet The Free Press, has a history with Netanyahu. She has described herself as “a Zionist fanatic” and has defended the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon during the Iran war .
Some insiders told the Post that Netanyahu likely preferred Garrett because he was viewed as a “more agreeable interviewer” who “would not challenge Netanyahu” as aggressively as Stahl might have . The prime minister has largely restricted his interviews with Israeli media to outlets considered openly supportive of him .
📺 The Interview Itself: Newsy Moments Amid Tensions
The interview that ultimately aired on Sunday, May 10, was conducted by Garrett — who is not a “60 Minutes” correspondent but the network’s chief Washington correspondent — and was filmed at the Jerusalem home of Netanyahu’s billionaire friend and backer, Simon Falic .
Key Headlines from the Interview
| Topic | Netanyahu’s Comments |
|---|---|
| Iran War | “It’s not over.” Netanyahu said the war is ongoing because “there’s still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran. There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that Iran supports” . |
| October 7 Responsibility | In an off‑mic section that did not air, Netanyahu conceded “everybody bears some responsibility, from the prime minister down” — while also insisting that “the real issue is what’s happened since October 7th” . |
| U.S. Military Aid | Netanyahu said he wants to wean Israel off all US military aid within a decade, telling CBS it wants to reduce the $3.8 billion annual package to zero as Israel strengthens ties with Gulf states . |
| US-Israeli Military Planning | Netanyahu declined to discuss military details, but when asked how he plans to remove Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile if no diplomatic deal is reached, he said: “You go in and you take it out” — before refusing to elaborate on operational specifics . |
| Christian Relations | Defending Israel after recent anti-Christian incidents, Netanyahu called the idea of Israeli hostility to Christians “one of those incredible fabrications,” noting that the soldier who damaged a crucifix “is in jail” and the man who attacked a nun “is on trial” . |
Netanyahu also admitted that neither Israel nor the United States had fully foreseen Iran’s ability to close the Strait of Hormuz before the war began. “It took a while for them to understand how big that risk is, which they understand now,” he said .
🏛️ Fallout at ‘60 Minutes’: Stahl’s Future in Question
The decision has reportedly ignited internal tensions at CBS News and raised questions about Stahl’s future at the network .
- Stahl’s contract expires at the end of the current “60 Minutes” season, and sources say she is now weighing whether to return after feeling that Weiss “went behind her back” .
- Tensions between Weiss and the “60 Minutes” team have been brewing for months — particularly after Weiss yanked a Sharyn Alfonsi segment hours before airtime, a move that drew sharp internal criticism .
- This marks the second time in recent months that Weiss has booked a marquee interview for “60 Minutes” but assigned it to Garrett instead of a program correspondent. In March, Weiss tapped Garrett to interview Secretary of War Pete Hegseth — then instructed that the high-profile sit-down air on “60 Minutes” .
- Executive producer Tanya Simon reportedly resisted airing the Netanyahu interview on “60 Minutes” and floated placing it on another CBS program, according to Status. But logistical complications — including Garrett not arriving in Israel until late Thursday and Netanyahu being unavailable Friday — narrowed the broadcast window, leaving “60 Minutes” as the only viable landing spot .
A CBS News spokesperson declined to comment on the booking process but defended the outcome, stating:
“It’s the editor in chief’s job to make decisions about bookings and interviews. Major is a world-class journalist and did a tough, fair, and newsmaking interview.”
📋 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| The Concession | Bari Weiss reportedly allowed Netanyahu’s team to choose between Lesley Stahl and Major Garrett as interviewer — a highly unusual concession to a news subject . |
| Netanyahu’s Choice | The prime minister’s office picked Major Garrett, who is not a regular “60 Minutes” correspondent, over veteran Lesley Stahl . |
| Stahl’s Pursuit | Stahl had spent months trying to land the Netanyahu interview before Weiss stepped in and took over the booking . |
| Interview Highlights | Netanyahu said the Iran war is “not over,” acknowledged “everybody bears some responsibility” for October 7, and proposed phasing out US military aid within a decade . |
| Fallout | Stahl is reportedly reassessing her future at CBS; her contract expires this season . |
| Weiss’s Pattern | This is the second time Weiss has booked a major interview and assigned it to Garrett instead of a “60 Minutes” correspondent — after March’s Pete Hegseth interview . |
While allowing a news subject to choose their interviewer is generally frowned upon, it’s not unprecedented — former President Trump has claimed he picked his own interviewer for an ABC News sit-down last year . However, the episode has amplified existing tensions at “60 Minutes” as Weiss continues to reshape the storied program in her own vision .
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